Guts over Fear
by DialMforM
Summary: Demi is initially skeptical about what is happening to the world, but soon things go from bad to worse, and she is faced with some tough decisions. Takes on TWD storyline from chapter 25 onwards.
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is a story I started working on a while back. I adapted my characters from another story I wrote, wanting to see how they would function in an apocalypse! It does contain some TWD characters, just not yet, and probably also not the most apparent ones. I have always been interested in how the outbreak occurred, can't wait for Fear the Walking Dead!**

 **Anyway, whoever reads this, I hope you enjoy it. Feedback is always welcome, as are reviews :)**

* * *

A little anxious I pushed open the door of the bar I was supposed to meet my best friend Olivia. With all my heart I hoped that she was already inside, waiting for me. I hated making my entrance alone.

I hung up my leather jacket on the wooden peg across from the entrance and looked around. There weren't many people at the bar at this hour, and a bit disappointed I came to the conclusion Olivia wasn't here yet. Quietly I cursed to myself. Why was she always late?

I sat down at a table that was window-seated, giving me a majestic view on the mountainous area. I had moved to this small town a little over a year ago, and it had been the best decision I had ever made. The sun already started to set.

Suddenly I felt a hand resting on my shoulder. "Hey, Demi, is that you? Long time no see!" I stared into two hazel brown eyes. I gasped, causing the man to take a step backwards.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead and tucking it behind his ear. "Mind if I sit down?" He did so before I got a chance to answer. I sighed.

"What exactly do you want, Victor?"

The dark-haired man eyed me. "How long has it been now, Demi? I mean, since you and Ben last spoke," he added when he saw my confused face.

My face darkened. "Why don't you ask him? He is your best friend, after all."

Victor let out a frustrated sound. "Oh, come on. I know you guys are pissed at each other, but please, talk to the guy. He's not doing so well."

"And what exactly do you want me to say? He's the one who decided to cut me out of his life, not the other way around." I realized I sounded more upset than I intended to. He scratched his head.

"I don't know what exactly went down between the two of you, since he refuses to share that with me, but it hasn't made him into a better person." I kept staring at him, not sure about what to say.

I let out a relieved sigh when I spotted my blonde best friend through the window. I waved at her and she enthusiastically returned the favor, followed by a surprised glance at Victor, and a frown at me. I sent her an apologizing smile back.

A few seconds later she entered the bar and walked towards us, sitting down at the last available chair at my table. "I did not know you had invited more people tonight," she remarked, her head tilted, pinning her gaze on Victor.

"He was not invited." I reply wryly. "In fact, he was just leaving, right, Victor?" He looked at me in astonishment, but rose from the table anyway.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Demi. You too, Olivia. Take care. And Demi – Please consider my request." He gave us both a nod, and set course to join his friends again, at the other side of the bar.

"Well, that was… Weird," Olivia slowly said, still looking at him. "And what kind of request? What's he talking about?" She gazed at me again.

"I have no idea…" I mumbled. "Hey, but why were you so late? Did the traffic attempt to ruin your life _again_?" I mocked her.

All of a sudden she became very serious. "No, I was watching the news. You know about those riots we heard about the other day? There seem to be coming more and more of them, it's like they're multiplying. It actually frightens me a little," the blonde confessed, biting her lip.

I shook my head and tried to reassure her. "It's okay, we're safe here. The bigger cities are literally miles away. Just some crazy hooligans, or something. Nothing threatening."

She looked at me, frowning. "You think so?" I quickly nodded.

"It will die down in a bit, I'm pretty sure. There's nothing to worry about." That seemed to calm her down a bit.

"Mhm, if you say so."

Olivia and I were just busy discussing her latest crush, when it started to get noisy in the bar. A little agitated I looked up at the crowd that had gathered in front of the bar's only television. I rose from the table to get a better view on what was displayed on it, but it wasn't sufficient. I had to move closer to be able to get a good view. My friend timidly followed.

It was an extra airing of the news, about the apparent riots, which seemed to be closing in on our town.

"… Stay inside until authorities declare the area safe again," I caught the news reporter's last words, before the screen faded to black. Some people around me sighed in disbelief and distant chattering was heard. Olivia sent me a worried look.

"You think we should head home? I mean, you heard the news, it was about our area… Stay inside, until they tell us otherwise." She looked up at the television again, in hopes for more news about the situation, but the screen stayed black.

A knot started forming in my stomach. I sure believed hostile things were going on in the big cities, but we were miles and miles away from there. These riots wouldn't spread so fast, would they? This was just a sleepy little town, nothing ever happened here. It didn't make any sense at all for them to shut down this area as well.

"Hey, you guys," Victor popped up next to us. "The bar is going to close now, on instruction of the government. Shall I drive you girls home? I decided to take my pick-up for a test drive tonight, so there's plenty of room left to drop you girls off at your houses. I don't feel comfortable with the two of you walking these streets or taking the bus. I mean, you heard the news…"

I wanted to decline his offer, but Olivia accepted. "That would be great, Vic. I must admit, the news scared me a little. Why would there be riots in an area like this? It's practically extinct here, right?" She shuddered, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure it's just precaution, nothing more. It wouldn't surprise me if these riots were all a set up by the government, to prove a point or something." Now they both stared at me.

"Whatever their point is, then, it's clearly working," the man responded in a serious tone. He motioned his friends at the other side of the bar. "Let's get out of here."

He set course to the exit, Olivia closely following him, and motioning me to do the same. I let out another deep sigh and finally started walking towards them, getting my leather jacket from the peg in the process. I spotted distraught people passing me by, some of them were frantically discussing the recent events while others just moved quietly.

I shook my head at them. It was all going to be fine. We would be fine. There was nothing to worry about, it was just a precaution. We would all laugh about this, next week.

Yet the knot in my stomach did not lessen.

The silence was deafening inside Victor's pick-up truck. Victor was driving, his friend Peter was in the front seat and Olivia and I shared the back seat with another one of Victor's friends. The inside of the pick-up smelled like nicotine combined with sweat, making me a little nauseous. I decided to break the silence.

"So… Are you guys going to see the game, this weekend? It's going to be an interesting match." Olivia widened her eyes at me in disbelief.

"Are you for real? We might be under _attack_ , Demi, and you start talking about the weekend? It wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't a game at all." She frowned and I shrugged, running my hand through my dark blonde hair.

"Olivia's right, Dem," Victor acclaimed, his eyes focused on the highway he just drove onto. "Let's just wait and see, how the rest of this week goes. Maybe everything will be fine again by tomorrow. Maybe it won't. Let's just wait."

I sighed and indignantly crossed my arms, staring out of the window. The sky was pitch black and the lanterns were no longer ignited at this point. I noticed how we were the only car driving this road. When I thought about it, I hadn't seen a car in quite a time. That was quite unusual on a highway like this one. People sure had taken these instructions seriously.

Suddenly the car started to go slower and slower, until Victor steered upon an emergency lane. "Victor? Why are we stopping?" Olivia asked, but then smoke started to come out of the engine, making Victor sigh.

"Damnit..." He exclaimed, slamming his fists on the steering wheel out of frustration. "I think the engine is overheated."

"Well, should we call someone? Like the road service?" I tried, but Victor shook his head. "I don't think they're gonna respond, we were all urged to stay inside."

"Well then, what do we do?"

Victor wanted to unbuckle his seat belt, but Peter beat him to it. "I'll take a look at it. I know quite some things about cars." Victor sent him a thankful smile, while Peter opened the car door and stepped out. Swift-handedly he opened the hood of the car, and immediately started coughing, waving away the smoke. "Damn, man. That engine ain't gon' work no more, I'm afraid. But I'll do my best."

"That's just great," I rolled my eyes. "Now we're stuck, on a deserted highway. I should just have walked home."

"Well, I suggest you start walking then, you stuck up bitch," Nick aimed at me. I opened my mouth, but Victor intervened. "Guys, guys, chill. It's already late, we're all tired and want to go home, I get it. Let's just keep quiet."

I sent him an apologizing smile. "You're right. I'm sorry." Then we all got startled by a rustling sound. Peter pulled his head from the hood of the car. "What was that?" He looked around, but didn't see anything, and started working on the engine again.

"Your engine's a mess, man," we could hear Peter murmur. "What in the world did you do with it?" Suddenly there was this sound again, as if something was snarling at us. We were all on edge.

Nick was the first to see him.

A man, walking a bit funny. He came straight out of the forest that was adjacent to the emergency lane. He must have been hurt, judging he was covered in blood, and staggering to come face to face with Peter.

Peter turned around to face him. "Oh, hello." Then his eyes widened. "Wow, are you okay? Were you –"

He could even not finish his sentence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for reading chapter 1, and the kind words! It definitely makes writing more fun. I have written most of the story already, but I keep re-writing it, so always open to suggestions, like which characters should make an appearance.**

 **So... Here's chapter 2. It's actually my birthday today! I always used to be so excited for it, when I was younger. Now it's pretty much just another day. But still, getting a year older is nice. Like my friend said, it means I'm not a zombie yet...**

 **Anyway, I'm rambling, here we go.**

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The seemingly injured man grabbed Peter's arm, and then sunk his teeth in it.

My jaw dropped.

Peter let out a deafening scream that set my teeth on edge. The man ripped parts of flesh from his arm, with his mere teeth. I could not believe what I was witnessing. Next to me I heard Olivia gasp for air.

Peter's screams attracted another figure, looking a lot like the injured man. This figure, which looked like a woman but definitely wasn't acting like one, clawed at his throat, ripping it open. There was blood everywhere.

I quickly closed my eyes, even though I had already seen too much to possibly ever forget. What in the world was happening?

Peter collapsed and his screams grew quiet while the two figures crouched down on him. None of us made a sound, we were all paralyzed. But then Victor seemed to come to his senses again.

"Guys, exit the car, now!" He hissed at us. "Run!"

"Run where? We're safer in here than we are out there!" Nick said under his breath. Olivia had tears in her eyes.

Victor opened his car door. "Just follow me, do it! There's no time to waste!"

None of us protested.

"What… What _was_ that?" Olivia looked as if she was about to throw up. We had taken this small mountainous path up and stopped to catch our breath, but we had to keep moving. Who knew how many of these _things_ would appear out of nowhere... What if they had followed us?

No reply came. "Shouldn't we have checked up on Peter? Maybe he needed our help."

"And get attacked ourselves by some lunatics? Are you insane, woman?" Nick lashed out at Olivia, almost causing the girl to burst out in tears.

"Hey, that's enough, Nick," I tried to intervene, but he sent me a vile look.

Victor, pale as a ghost, was still trying to catch his breath. "Whatever it was that got him… It was too late anyway. Trust me, I had a clearer view at it in the front seat than you guys had, in the back."

We all quietly kept walking, consumed by our own thoughts. I had seen the riots on the news, the past couple of days, and there had surfaced many rumors about the ones causing the riots, but the news kept reporting it was under control and nothing life-threatening. But this… What we had just witnessed seemed to come straight out of a bad horror movie, yet I had seen it with my own two eyes. I had just seen a guy getting ripped to shreds. I pinched myself, hoping to wake up, but all it did was leave a red mark on my skin.

Victor made eye contact with me. "We are close to Ben's house, I propose we go there. There's no way I'm going down there again tonight. Maybe we can spend the night there, and we'll think of a plan tomorrow. For now we need to get to safety as soon as possible."

I wanted to recalcitrate, but I knew this wasn't the time. Victor was right. My house was barely in walking distance, and with what we had just witnessed, I surely wasn't going to try. As much as I hated to come face to face with Ben again, I knew I had no choice.

"Fine. We'll go there."

I had never been so relieved to see the house of the man I once loved, looming up from behind the trees. Ben lived in a pretty secluded area, shielded from the highway and our town, somewhat up in the mountains. He owned a small manor, but definitely big enough to lodge the four of us.

Unless he would send me off. Would he do that? I swallowed. We didn't exactly end things in peace, after all.

Victor seemed to be reading my thoughts. "It's gonna be okay, Demi. I'll talk to him. There's no way he would kick you out." He sent me a comforting smile.

"That's what you hope," Nick sneered, his curls bounced on his forehead. "The guy hates her guts."

I took a moment to take Nick's appearance in. He was a rather short and chubby guy, with thick brown curls, dark blue eyes, and a shirt that exposed half of his belly. I had seen him around before, and I knew he was friends with Ben, but I never had the pleasure of meeting this guy. Or displeasure, actually, since I started to honestly dislike him.

"Is he even home tonight?" Olivia asked, inspecting the house. "It seems deserted. The lights are off. Where do we go when he's not?" Desperation resounded in her voice.

"Oh, he's home. I know he is," Victor replied, fixating his eyes on the parked car on Ben's driveway. I quickly looked around, but there was nothing in sight. These streets were deserted. Nothing that even remotely indicated what happened to us earlier.

Victor knocked on the front door. "Ben? Please open the door."

A light ignited, and we heard someone stumble to the door. Olivia and I looked at each other, not sure what to expect as soon as the door would open. What if the creatures we encountered earlier had been here already, and injured Ben? Or worse…

I swallowed, and started to feel nauseous again.

All of a sudden the door swung open, making us all jump. A tall blond man stood in the doorway, laughing. "Woah Vic, relax, it's just me. You should have seen your face. Where's your car?" Then he looked past Victor, spotting us.

Spotting me.

He set a step back. "And why did you bring _her_ here?" I cringed.

Victor ignored his question. "Listen, Ben. I will explain it all, if you let us in. All of us," he firmly added, following the man's gaze on me.

The latter sighed but gave in, stepping aside so we could all enter. I tried not to look at him. It felt weird, being in his hallway again. I still had a vivid memory of the last time I was here… I tried to shake that off.

We followed him into his living room, where one of his other friends was chilling.

"Hey Vic, Nick, what brings you here at this hour? It's past eleven. I should get going, anyway. It's still quite a drive to the city." The guy stood up, preparing to leave by grabbing his coat, but Victor walked up to him and took the guy's coat from him. He looked puzzled.

"I'm afraid you can't leave."

The guy stared at Victor, and then to us, and back at Victor. "Are you okay, man? You're acting a little strange. Did you smoke something?" The guy tried to smile at Victor, but he didn't smile back. Instead he sat down on Ben's couch. There were some cigarettes burning in the ash tray that was standing on Ben's table.

I sighed. I knew what time it was. It was obvious to me that they were stoned. Again.

"Forget it, Victor. They're wasted. There's no way they're gonna believe us in this state. It's no use," I scoffed, and Ben threw me an angry look.

Victor ignored my words and addressed Ben and his friend. "I don't know if you heard about the riots. I'm starting to doubt if that's what they are." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "Whatever it is, whatever they are, they got Peter. He's dead, man."

Ben opened his mouth, but closed it again. "He… What? Is this a joke? _They_ got Peter?" His friend looked at us as if we were crazy. "Are you sure you're sober? Because you're absolutely not making any sense."

Victor's face fell. "They looked like humans, but they weren't. They ate him."

The guy started laughing. Ben still hadn't said a word. "You're saying Peter got eaten, by human-like things? Like what, zombies?"

I stared at the both of them. Zombies? Was that what they were? Dead people coming back to life to eat us? It sure looked like it, but it couldn't be, right? That shit wasn't real. There had to be another explanation. Maybe some kind of humanoid creature. But zombies?

He shook his head in disbelief, still laughing. "You have really outdone yourself this time, Vic. Thanks for the laugh. But I gotta go now, I have an early shift tomorrow." He patted Ben on the back and pulled his coat from Victor's hands. "Good luck with these weirdos, Ben. I'll let you guys know when I encounter a zombie. I'll greet him for you, ask him for a selfie."

Victor sighed as he heard the front door close. Nick scratched his head. "You think they were zombies, Vic?"

"They weren't human. Not anymore, at least. It doesn't really matter what they are. All I know is that we should avoid them at all costs. You saw what they did to Peter. You all did, right? Please tell me I'm not going crazy." He almost looked desperate, and I could swear I spotted his eyes getting a little wet.

I placed my hand on this arm. "You're not crazy. We all saw it." He sent me a grateful smile.

"So… You're actually claiming these riots are caused by zombies, or something similar to that concept. And they ate Peter." Ben finally spoke up, screwing up his nose.

"I know how it sounds. I do. But Victor is right, we have all seen it. It was madness." It was the first time Olivia spoke up. Her face was tearstained and she had a bewildered look on her face. I had never seen my best friend like this. Normally her complexion was impeccable.

"Do you mind if we stay at your house for the night, Ben? My car broke down on the highway." The expression on Victor's face was almost imploring. He looked broken.

Ben seemed to be in deep thought, and started massaging his temples. "Honestly, I'm too stoned right now to even be able to consider this as truthful. You guys are giving me a headache. I'm going to bed now, we'll discuss this in the morning. You know where my guest rooms are." With that he took off, shaking his head.

Victor put his head in his hands, and Olivia started sobbing again. Nick tried to turn on the television for news, but none of the channels seemed to work. Frustrated he threw the remote away.

I walked up to the window and gazed outside. It was a clear night tonight, but I knew, right there, right then, that nothing would ever be the same again. Our lives were changed for good.


	3. Chapter 3

**So, another chapter done! I enjoyed writing this one.**

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The next morning I was exhausted. I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Peter again, getting ripped to shreds by those things. I had shared a bed with Olivia, but we had not spoken a word this whole night. We were both occupied by our thoughts.

I decided to get out of bed and head for the kitchen, to see if anyone was awake yet. I needed someone to vent to, anyone, but the only one already up was Ben. He was sitting at his kitchen table, drinking coffee and reading through a magazine. I sat down across from him, but he didn't bother to look up.

I started observing him. His sandy blond hair was messy, his face wrinkly. His glasses made him seem older than he actually was and his face looked hollow. I remembered how Victor had mentioned he wasn't doing well, and by the looks of it he had spoken the truth. Ben looked awful.

"Ben?" I tried, but he was preoccupied with his magazine. I waited, but no response came. I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly, you're going to ignore me? What are you, twelve?"

Finally he looked up, but the look he gave me was anything but pretty. He took off his glasses, and closed his magazine.

"What is it, Demi? You wanna act like nothing happened? Like we're _friends_?" The anger that resounded in his voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Hey Ben, Demi," Victor entered the kitchen. He didn't seem to notice the cold atmosphere between us. "I hope you had a better night than I did. I did not sleep at all." There were dark circles under his eyes.

"Me neither," I admitted, staring at my feet. "I kept seeing Peter, getting attacked, over and over again…" My voice trailed off as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

Victor stared out of the window. "I'm actually thinking about going back to town, paying a visit to the police department. I need to know what happened yesterday, what these things were. Can I use your car, Ben?"

I was about to respond to Victor, but then Ben opened his mouth. "If you're thinking about going down there, I'm going with you. I need to see this with my own eyes, and hear this with my own ears." Victor stared back at him.

"You would?" Ben nodded.

"There's no way I would let you go back all by yourself after what you told me last night. What kind of best friend would that make me?"

"If you go back, can you drop me off at my house?" I asked Victor, who looked at me in disbelief. Ben just snorted.

"It's just… I really wanna go home, take a shower, sleep in my own bed." I shrugged apologetically.

"I can't just leave you alone in times like these, Demi," Victor raised his eyebrow at me. "It's dangerous."

"Oh, but I'm not alone. One of my roommates decided to stay home for the weekend. And I have a feeling not everyone here is particularly happy about my stay," I said, one eye on Ben. He rolled his eyes and walked out of the kitchen. "So, if you go, do you mind driving past my house? It's en route to the police station anyway." Victor let out a sigh, and didn't directly respond.

"Alright then, if that's what you really want… We'll be leaving in one hour. But we can't go unprepared."

"I found a hockey stick and a baseball bat in your garage, Ben. For now it will have to do. I assume you don't have any guns or so, for protection?" Ben stared at Victor with an open mouth.

"Why in God's name would I carry a gun? What do you think I do in my free time?"

Victor threw his hands in the air. "I don't know man, just asking. Are you guys ready to go down there? Are you sure about this, Demi?" I quickly nodded. Olivia had decided on staying, which was fine with me, but I couldn't stay here one more minute. Ben's face expressed resentment every time our eyes met, and it slowly drove me crazy.

Before we opened the front door Victor carefully observed the street, but there wasn't anything in sight. It was a rather secluded street and Ben did not have any direct neighbors. Victor quickly walked through the door and motioned us to follow him. Ben took place on the front seat of his car, while I sat in the back. Victor drove, he knew the way.

None of us spoke to one another the whole road down. I felt nervous, like I could throw up any minute, and that only intensified as soon as we came closer to my house. I could tell Ben felt the same way, as little drops of sweat glittered on his face. Victor stayed icy calm on this deserted mountainous road.

I let out a relieved sigh when we reached my house. I lived in the outskirts of town, not that far from Ben's place by car. Victor parked the car on my driveway and looked around again, but there was nothing in sight, aside from some police vans that were not occupied. The place looked hauntingly deserted. Victor insisted on inspecting the house before leaving me behind, something I thought was unnecessary, but I was unable to change his mind.

"Well, so far I didn't spot anything that looked unnatural," Ben remarked, shrugging. "You're not playing a cruel joke on me, right? That as soon as we enter the house, Peter jumps out or something. I'm really not up for that."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "You really think we would joke about something like this?"

"Well, there was more that I didn't expect from you, and you proved me wrong nonetheless," he shot back. I placed my hands on my hips.

"Excuse me?"

"Guys, we don't have time for this right now," Victor intervened, looking tired. "You can discuss whatever issues you have with one another as soon as we get to safety. We should consider ourselves lucky we didn't encounter anything on the way here. Let's hope it stays that way." I rolled my eyes, but Victor had a point. Ben sighed.

"Fine, let's enter the damn house."

I swiftly pulled my keys from my pocket and opened the door. Victor entered first, and when he declared that the coast was clear, I followed and speeded to the door of my bedroom while Victor insisted on checking the rest of the house, before they left. Relieved I sat down on my bed, happy to be back in my room again. Everything was still exactly as I left it. I crossed the hallway to knock on my roommate's door.

"Lisa? Where are you?" When no response came I opened her door and entered her room. I noticed a small trail of blood, all the way into her bathroom. An eerie sound echoed through the room, piercing my ears.

"… Victor? Is that you? Ben? You're not being funny!" I turned around, and the sound got louder. It sounded like someone was growling. That couldn't be good. I reached for the baseball bat Victor had given me, my heart pounding in my chest.

Then I saw her. Whatever was left of my roommate. Immediately I knew she was one of them now, I had never seen a live person function with her cheek torn open. Her pace quickened when she saw me, and I just stood there with my bat, a million thoughts crossing my mind. Was I supposed to hit my roommate with this? I had never hit a person before. What if I would hurt her? Or worse?

I froze to the ground, petrified, while the creature's pace kept increasing, obviously hungry for me.

"Demi, watch out!"

Victor loomed up behind the creature that once was my roommate, and swung the hockey stick against her head with great speed. She thudded to the ground, but crawled up immediately. My eyes were big as plates. How was she able to rise up from a blow to the head like that?

Victor seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he regained himself just in time, and took a swing at her again. The hits kept coming, faster and faster. Finally the creature seemed to succumb, and didn't rise from the ground anymore. Her head was split open, exposing her fractured skull. The sight of it made me vomit.

Ben was standing in the doorway, white as a sheet. "What in the world…" Was all he could stammer.

Victor was all covered in blood from the impact. He looked like a serial killer. "Guys, we have to leave here as soon as possible. I found out someone left your back door open. Who knows what's inside of your house... Please, Demi, grab your stuff and come back with us." I could only stare at him.

"My roommate, is she… Is she dead?"

"Well, I hope so."

Ben shook his head in disbelief. "This is madness. You just killed a… I don't know what it is. But you killed it."

The dark-haired man wiped his face clean with one of my towels. "Whatever it was, it wasn't human. And I wanna bet there are more of these things, who knows how many. So let's get out of here."

I quickly stuffed a small suitcase with spare clothes and other necessities. Victor led us down, making sure there were no surprises along the way, and we timidly followed. Ben still looked like he had seen a ghost, which wasn't entirely untrue. All I could think about was my roommate, who was lying dead on the floor of my room now. We had spent plenty of time together, watching our favorite shows and gossiping about boys. Yesterday she had been fine, and now she was dead.

And Victor had saved me from her, I owed him my life. Without him, she surely would have bitten me. The thought of it made me shiver. Would biting me mean that I would die? Would it have changed me in one of these creatures? It was obvious something had turned her into such creature, but what?

Suddenly Victor stopped moving. We immediately did the same. "Did you hear that?" His voice trembled.

"Hear what?" Ben asked. But then we all heard it. A scream. Was it from somebody in need? Victor walked up to the window next to the front door and gazed outside. There she was; a lone woman, on the streets, clearly being chased by these things. Victor sent us an apologizing glance, and I started to shake my head, but he opened the door and ran towards the female.

"Victor, come back! Vic!" Ben and I both watched in horror how the things were about to grab the woman, who started screaming even louder as a result.

I witnessed one of these creatures pace up to Victor, trying to grab his arm. Quickly I closed my eyes. I could not bear to watch him meet his fate like Peter had.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update, because I was feeling frisky. Right now my kitten is purring on my lap, she's adorable. I named her after a Walking Dead character, one that soon will make an appearance. It was one of my favorites!**

* * *

All of a sudden a gunshot was heard.

The thing that had planned on biting Victor fell to the ground. Victor looked to his left, a little puzzled, to something Ben and I couldn't see from where we were standing. A couple more gun shots were fired, and one by one the creatures fell down. Ben and I exchanged a look.

"Young man, hey, you, over there, are you hurt? Did they get you? Is that your blood?" Some kind of police officer wearing a shield walked up to Victor, inspecting him. It was a member of the SWAT team.

Victor slowly shook his head. Some other police men approached the distraught female, leading her away. "No, no, I'm fine. I just beat down one of these… What are they?"

I checked the surroundings one more time and then hurried to Victor and the officer. Ben followed me. The officer acknowledged us, and turned to Victor again.

"I must ask you all to leave this area as soon as possible. We are evacuating this whole place. You can't stay here, it's too dangerous. A camp has been set up not too far from here, I advise you to go there 'till further notice." He suddenly fired another shot, behind us. I saw another thing falling, but more were coming.

He spoke frantically. "Please, go now. This whole place is infected, they are everywhere. Get out of here, as far away from here as you possibly can!"

Victor nodded. "Come on, guys, to the car," and he got my bag from me. Ben and he already started moving towards the car, but I kept facing the officer. His eyes were almost begging me to leave, but I had to know.

"Sir… What are they?"

It took a few seconds before he responded, but then he did. The look in his eyes cut right through my soul, his words sent a shiver down my spine. "They came back from the dead. They're undead."

I turned around and ran.

"I can't believe this. I just can't. It's like the fucking apocalypse." Ben rested his head in his hands, massaging his forehead. We were almost back at his house, and I was more than relieved that we made it out alive. We had spotted numerous corpses on our way out of the city, presumably all killed by the SWAT team. I even spotted a tank on his way to what once our town was. Yesterday…

I sighed. "Me neither. How in the world can dead people move? How did all of this start? And more importantly; how is all of this going to stop?"

"Let's just focus on surviving this shit for now. How it started, how it will be stopped, that's all pointless at this moment." Victor seemed glum, but kept his focus on the road nonetheless.

All of a sudden I had to think about my family, would this thing be world-wide? My family lived thousands of miles away from this place, in another country, but that didn't mean they were safe right now. At first I had believed these riots were just nation-wide, but now that I knew it weren't riots it made me worried sick.

I had never been happier to see Olivia, or Nick for that matter, standing in the front door. I ran inside and swung my arms around her. She buried her face in my shoulder.

"You returned… Was it that bad, down there?" She asked me as soon as she let go of me. I didn't speak, instead I made eye contact with Victor, who had just come through the door with my suitcase. Ben locked the door behind us. "Let's all go to the living room. Demi's staying, and we need a plan of action."

Ben's living room was small but cozy. It contained a giant woodstove, which would probably come in handy during these circumstances. I realized it was a real possibility for the central heating and electricity to stop working any minute now. The living room also had this nice lounge area, consisting of 2 comfy sofas and a flat screen TV. We all sat down, while Ben grabbed something out of his desk. I let out an annoyed moan when I saw what it was.

"Are you for real? You really think this is the time to get stoned again?" I snarled at him. He didn't look at me, focusing on the stuff in his hands. "I'd say this is the perfect time."

"Ben, man, we gotta stay sharp," Victor helped me out, but Ben shook his head. "No, we don't. We're inside my house, safe and sound. _My_ house, which holds _I_ make the rules. So I'm gonna smoke this, and if you have an issue with that Demi, well, you know where the exit is. Go." He sent me a triumphant glance and I felt the anger burning inside of me. I could not believe he was that selfish. How could he, after what had happened between us? After what had happened today?

"You know what, Ben? Fuck you." I spit out the words, rose up from the sofa and left, leaving the others behind.

"Demi? Are you okay?"

I was standing on the balcony, staring into the distance, tears in my eyes. Angrily I rubbed them away.

"I'm fine." My voice cracked. The person came to stand beside me, and started staring into the distance as well. Out of the corner of my eye I saw it was Victor, and a feeling of disappointment shot through me over the fact Olivia hadn't come to see if I was alright.

"This is what I meant, back at the bar." I looked at Victor in confusion, but then I remembered our encounter again. It seemed ages ago, not yesterday. He cleared his throat. "Ever since things gone awry between the two of you his drug use intensified. He can't seem to function without it. He's just not himself."

"That's not my problem anymore," I tried to sound indifferent.

We were both silent for a while, scanning the environment. There was nothing in sight, no humans, but no creatures either. In the distance I could hear shots getting fired, but we were too far away from the center to actually be able to find out more about it.

"Do you think we'll be safe here?" I broke the silence. Victor kept staring into the distance, a worried look on his face.

"I don't know, Demi. For now we are. But we can't stay here forever. Soon enough we'll run out of food, and it will only be a matter of time before the electricity and water will stop working. And that might even be the least of our worries. These creatures will have to move up once their food stream down there ends. If they discover us here, and trap us…" His voice trailed off, and I swallowed.

"Let's go back inside. I don't want anyone out there to spot us." Victor's hand rested on my shoulder. "And please, Demi, talk to Ben. Odds are you guys will be spending a lot of time together from now on, and the last thing we can use right now is the two of you bickering all the time. We got much bigger problems ahead of us." He gave me a worried smile, and went back inside.

When I returned to the living room Ben was nowhere to be found. I decided not to ask about his whereabouts. I sat down on the sofa next to Olivia, who grabbed my hand and pinched it.

"You okay? I wanted to come after you, but Victor beat me to it," she whispered, her makeup still smeared from the night and the lack of makeup remover. I gave her a comforting smile. "I pretty much stuffed my whole closet in the suitcase I brought. You can borrow some of my clothes, if you want."

"Okay guys, it seems like Ben's friend yesterday wasn't joking when he started to talk about zombies coming for us. According to the police officer I encountered at my house it are undead humans who are haunting us," I started off, and they all looked at me in disbelief.

"But how…?" Nick blinked a few times.

"I don't know any facts," I apologized. "That's what he said. Undead. So these things that got Peter and roam around now were human at first. My roommate was one of them as well."

Victor looked thoughtful. "So… I guess it's safe to say it aren't people rising from the grave, but people that die and come back? Seeing how your roommate was still alive yesterday, and now she was… One of those." I nodded. "That's what I think."

"But how?" Olivia questioned. I could provide her with an answer. I had no clue.

"Who would have ever thought… Zombies, coming for us." Nick grimaced. "Actual zombies."

"We need a plan, guys. From what I've witnessed today, aiming at their head helps. The cop that shot them all shot them through the head, which seemed to do the job. Let's aim for the head for now. Also, from this moment on, nobody leaves this house on their own. It's too risky. We have to stick together, make the most of this, until the situation is solved."

"Solved?" I stared at Victor. "You think this is a situation which can be solved?" He scratched his head.

"I really don't know. It has to be, right? We saw the SWAT team, they even brought tanks. They can't possibly overpower the army… That's why I think it's best to stay here, until the worst is over. If that's okay with you, of course." He gave a nod to Ben, who had just come inside again, with a beer in his hand.

"I guess it's fine, it's not like I have anything else to do, anyway." He took a sip. "Anyone else wants some? Luckily there's still plenty. I hope you can live with alcohol, or are you gonna bitch about that too, Demi?" He mocked me, and I gritted my teeth. This was going to be challenging.

* * *

 **Yeah, Ben is pretty much an asshole. But there's this edge to him... Which will show soon enough. Things are about to get grim.**


	5. Chapter 5

The following time it was almost like things were back to normal. The five of us hung out at Ben's house, played some card games, and every day one of us prepared dinner for everyone. We rotated shifts keeping watch on the balcony, to make sure we were safe. Victor and I really seemed to click, forming a close friendship, and even Nick became more tolerable. I was really happy with the clothes I had brought from my home, as was Olivia, and the guys borrowed some of Ben's. We were completely shielded from the outside world.

If I hadn't known any better it must have looked like a group of friends, or roommates, spending quality time together.

But then the electricity stopped working. At first we started used candles, which had sort of a romantic effect, but soon we started to fear the dark. Who knew what was out there, what we couldn't see. And without news about the situation we all started to get a little paranoid. How bad would it be down there? How close were we to solving the situation?

Everything changed, that one night Ben was keeping watch on one of his balconies. I was the one who had to take over his shift for a couple of hours, so he could get some sleep. We hadn't directly spoken to one another since our last encounter, we had mostly avoided each other, and I wasn't looking forward to be alone with him again. I found him sitting on his balcony, smoking. Our eyes met, and for a second I thought he was about to smile at me, but he didn't.

"I, eh, you can go to sleep, if you want." He gave me a doubtful look.

"It's just a cigarette, you know. You can breathe again." He averted his gaze again.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Honestly, I couldn't care less. I have better things to do with my time now than worrying about you and your petty behavior." He didn't respond. Instead he stood up abruptly, got his binoculars, and started scanning the area around his house. "I… What are you –"

"Sshh," he hushed me. I was about to open my mouth to bitch at him, when he spoke.

"I think I see one."

"You, what?" I stared at him in disbelief. "One of those things? Up here?"

He handed me the binoculars, and I looked through them but didn't see anything. "A little further to the right, Demi. Next to the river." Ben put his hands over mine and shifted me in the right direction. His hands on mine made me blush, remembering old times. He must have felt the same, because suddenly he let go. "I, eh, well, you see?"

I blinked a few times, but then I saw it. A man, staggering on the road. It was obvious he belonged to them. I looked a little harder, but it was hard to spot anything in the dark. Ben and I exchanged looks.

"What do we do now? Should we warn the others?" I returned the binoculars to Ben and he used them again.

"Uhh, Demi?" His voice trembled.

I did not like the sound of this. "What?"

"It's not just one."

I snatched the binoculars from him and affirmed my gaze on the spot where I last spotted the creature. What I saw made me take a step back.

It weren't just a few creatures. It were dozens of them. And this was just the beginning.

"What in the… How? Why are they coming up?" I gasped for air as I sat down. Ben regained himself before I did.

"Something must have drawn them here. We have to warn the others. We have to blow out all of the candles, make sure the doors are shut. They can't see us. If they see us, we're doomed." He quietly walked to the balcony door, motioning me to walk through it first. He softly closed the door behind me, locking it. I started to feel a little sick. He was right. If they'd spot us, they would come banging on our doors, and only more of them would follow. And with no way out of the house we would certainly perish.

I followed him to the living room, where the others were. Olivia was sound asleep on the sofa while Victor and Nick were playing a card game. As soon as they noticed us, they knew something serious was about to go down.

"Vic, blow out the candles, and Nick, please go check if all the doors are locked." They stopped laughing.

"What's the matter, Ben? You look white as a sheet. Is everything alright?" He quickly shook his head. "They're coming. They're coming, and they can't see us. If they spot us… We're dead."

Olivia, woken up from all the fuss, yawned and looked at us. "What's going on, guys? Why are you all looking like that?"

Victor rose from the table and speeded to the candles, blowing all of them out. Nick went to check the front door, and Ben and I went to check the windows. Olivia looked outside the window in astonishment.

"Everyone, get under the table, hide yourself. They absolutely can't see us." Ben and I hid under the kitchen table while the others hid themselves in the living room. I held my breath, too afraid to make a sound. My heart was beating in my throat and numerous thoughts flashed through my mind.

I glanced at Ben and noticed he was holding his breath as well. His hair was wet from sweating, and little drops ran down his face. Our eyes crossed, but neither one of us said something.

I moved my hand and accidently put mine on his. I blushed and immediately drew my hand back. The both of us stared to the ground. We sat like that for a while, not daring to move, afraid we'd trigger a reaction in the undead. I could see them slowly passing by through the window from where we were sitting. After a while I noticed there were no new things passing us.

Victor entered the kitchen, causing me to move away from Ben and come up from under the table. Victor helped me up, and we carefully approached the window, but there was nothing in sight. I let out a relieved sigh.

"I think the herd has passed. Still, we have to be careful. And we have to start thinking about relocating, maybe. There's a reason they came all the way here. It's not safe." Ben's eyes widened in disbelief. "Leaving the house, our only safe harbor up until now?"

Victor placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "Demi is right, though. The undead have found their way up your street now, and we don't have anything here to protect us with in case things go south. That cop we encountered when we went to get Demi's stuff said something about a camp. It might be safer than staying here. "

Ben shook his head in denial. "I'm not leaving my house. We don't even know where that camp is, and whether it's still there. What if it got overrun?"

"We'll find another one. But we gotta leave the house one day. We are running out of food. You sure are a lazy shopper, Ben." That last remark made him laugh.

"Well, sorry I didn't shop in advance of the frickin' apocalypse."

I gave the both of them an encouraging smile. "Maybe it would be good to join a camp. It could increase our chances of survival until all of this dies down again."

"By exposing ourselves to go out there?" He responded annoyed, raising his eyebrow. "You two became awfully unanimous, all of a sudden. Even if we would go search for that camp, chances are we get bitten or eaten by these things. We don't have the equipment to protect ourselves well enough. You guys can go, but I'm not leaving. I'm staying." He crossed his arms and gave us a firm look, while Victor looked helpless.

"Let's discuss matters with the others first. Maybe they'll come up with an alternative." Victor tried to smile, but he and I both knew leaving to find a camp was our best chance in the long run. A camp, somewhere high up in the mountains, near a lake or something, shielded from the main road. Though Ben's house was already up in the mountains and the street where he lived was pretty secluded, it was still in sight and easy enough to reach, or so today had proven to us.

The opinions of where to go ranged from staying to leaving. Victor and I wanted to leave before things would get any worse and we'd be trapped, but Ben wanted to stay. Nick wanted to search for a camp and if it wasn't like we expected we could always come back, according to him. Olivia wanted neither, not able to make up her mind. She was terrified to leave, not knowing what we would find, but realized staying also had its cons.

I don't know if it was a blessing or a curse, that that choice was made for us.

It was past noon, and I was keeping watch on the balcony when I heard distant chattering. I sat up straight on the chair I had been dozing in, and tried to determine where it came from. The past couple of days I had spotted some undead creatures passing by, never more than two or three at the same time, but not people. Most people around here had probably been evacuated or had flown, while others had been killed. As far as I knew the undead weren't able to speak, so the chattering must have come from the living.

I closed my eyes, trying to make anything out of it. It were multiple voices, two or three men, and one woman, and they were approaching Ben's house. They were close enough now for me to overhear parts of their conversation. I didn't make a move, afraid they would discover me. I knew they couldn't spot me from where I was sitting.

"I don't know… Good idea." The woman's voice quietly spoke. A man scolded her, and another man hissed at the both of them, trying to shush them down. The woman started speaking more frantically now.

"Don't… Hurt… Nobody." I pricked up my ears and held my breath, not liking where this was going. The group seemed to be having an argument now, but I wasn't sure what it was about. All of a sudden it stopped.

Did they pass us by? I still didn't dare to look over the edge, afraid to be seen.

Then I heard a firm knock, making my heart skip a beat. They were at Ben's front door.

Another knock followed, and it became obvious my friends didn't open the door, because suddenly I heard a voice getting raised. "Open the damn door, I know there's people in there." I crouched down to the ground and held my breath. How in the world did they know it was occupied? Had they been observing us, or somehow seen me sitting here, in the distance? We had tried to be invisible from the outside.

"Let us in, or else we will have to force a way in, and you don't want that to happen, do you?" Another man called out. Inside I heard stumbling. Were they really gonna open the door for these people?

"What do you want?" That was Ben's voice.

"We're on the run for the undead, and we just need shelter, that's all." A female voice was added to the conversation, sounding a little frantic. "It's just for the night. Please, sir. They're closing in on us!"

That was bullshit. I hadn't seen one creature all day, and I was pretty sure they weren't being chased. I wanted to yell at Ben, warn him, but then I heard the creaking of the door. Ben had opened the door for these people. I was too late.

The group was inside the house.

* * *

 **So... That can't be good, can it?**

 **Thank you, everyone who is reading this! The stats are favorable. Soon a Walking Dead character will make its way into the story. One of my favorites. Yay!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, from now on some things will change. Demi will no longer be the only narrator of this story, I decided to start switching between characters. At the end of this chapter it will become clear why.**

 **Also, Demi is not based on Demi Lovato. I just like the celebrity, and the name.**

* * *

 _Victor's POV_

As soon as I heard that knock on the door, I knew we were in trouble. Olivia gasped, and Ben and I crossed eyes.

"These creatures can't knock… Can they?" Ben asked hesitatingly. I read the panic in his eyes, and wondered if my eyes were showing the same.

"I don't think they can."

We kept quiet, hoping that whoever was standing at the door would give up and leave, but it got followed by another, more urgent, knock. "Open the damn door, I know there's people in there."

I opened my mouth, but closed it again. Ben was obviously hesitating whether or not to open the door for these unknown guests. I slowly shook my head.

"Let us in, or else we will have to force a way in, and you don't want that to happen, do you?"

Olivia squealed and I started to get pretty nervous as well. If they would break open the door or smash the windows we would be in much bigger shit. "What should I do?" Ben whispered.

I didn't know. I really didn't know.

"What do you want?" Ben's voice was loud, but shaky. A woman's voice replied.

"We're on the run for the undead, and we just need shelter, that's all. It's just for the night. Please, sir. They're closing in on us!"

Ben sent me a desperate glance now. "We don't even know if they are telling the truth," I tried to reason with him. "For all we know it's a trap. Demi didn't warn us about more of these things coming up."

"I can't just let them stand on my doorstep. Stay here." He rose from the table and left the kitchen. A few seconds later I heard him open the door. Olivia looked at me in fear, and to be honest, that same fear was clenching my throat as well. Nick let out a deep sigh.

There were sounds of a struggle audible. It had me sitting straight up, sending shivers down my spine. A heated conversation was what followed from it. I could not follow it entirely, but the sound of it was anything but positive. My heart felt like it was going to explode, it was beating incredibly fast. I had to do something.

"Sorry, guys." And with those words I stood up, making my way to the center of where the conversation was taking place. What I encountered there drained the blood from my face. Three men and a woman were standing in Ben's hallway, the door still wide open. Ben was bleeding from a head wound, and the skin around his eye already started to color, indicating a soon to become black eye. One man held him in stranglehold, while another kept him at gun point. For a second I stopped breathing.

"So, you weren't alone after all," one of the men spoke up, affirming his gaze on me. I swallowed. "You lied to us."

"Listen, nobody has to get hurt," the woman tried to plead with the man that was holding Ben. Then she addressed me. "All we want is your stuff. We want your house. Out there, it's not safe. All the other houses we encountered were already overrun, this seems to be the first house still suitable to live in."

I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists. "And what do you suggest that we do? You expect we will just let you send us out there? You think you can just chase us out?"

The man who was holding down Ben tightened his grip, causing him to squeal in pain. "That's exactly what I think. Unless you want your friend over here to get hurt. It's your call. We can feed him to the walkers, those things are hungry as fuck. Or shoot him, right here. Or," he gave me a vile smile, "you can do as I say, and walk away. You're the weakest link here, kid. Be smart."

Millions of thoughts ran through my mind. I knew I had to act quickly, I had to do whatever I could to guarantee my best friend's safety. But the man was right, they had guns. All I had was a baseball bat, but that nearly wouldn't be enough. Our options were desolate.

I held my hands up in the air. "Look, I don't want either one of us to get hurt. Please let go of my friend, and we'll sort something out. Maybe we can share the house." Sharing a house with these people seemed like the worst plan possible, but I had to try something.

The man let out a condescending laugh. "We don't share, kid. You should be happy to be walking away from this at all. The last one we encountered wasn't as lucky." The man cocked his gun, and I read the desperation in Ben's eyes. We weren't going to get away unharmed. Not like that.

He pointed his gun on me, all of a sudden. "Woah, put that thing away, man, please."

Suddenly I heard a door behind me open, startling me, and the man blindly fired a shot. I was deafened by the sound of it, my ears were beeping and I gasped. This was it. The end.

But it wasn't me that got hit. I turned my head and saw Nick, gargling. A red stain started to occur on his abdomen. He touched it with both hands, trying to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. The blood just poured through his fingers. He fell to his knees, losing all of his strength.

The man that had held Ben let go of him, seemingly distraught. Ben fell to the ground, gasping for air. "Oh God, why did you do that?" The desperation in his voice was audible.

The man who had fired looked at the one asking the question, then back to Nick, who was lying on the ground now, no longer moving. A puddle of blood started to form underneath him. "I, I didn't…" The woman only screamed by the sight of havoc that was just caused.

I kneeled down at Nick, but as soon as I rolled him over it was obvious he wasn't with us anymore. Rage flushed through my veins when I looked at the man again.

"You killed him." My voice was steeped from disbelief combined with anger. "Why?"

The man could only gasp for air. "I didn't mean to shoot that kid. He just startled me." The third man, who had been awfully silent during all this, opened his mouth. "We gotta get outta here, man. Fuck that house, we'll find something."

The woman put her hand over her mouth, and pointed with the other one. "He's not dead."

"What?" I gave her a non-comprehending glance, before I turned around again. She was right. Nick was moving his hands. But how? I was pretty sure the shot had been fatal. No one could survive something like that.

But then he let out a kind of growl, a growl that just wasn't human, and his eyes shot open. I set a step back. This wasn't right. This wasn't Nick. His eyes were transparent, almost ghostly white. His skin was greyish pale, and covered in blood. His eyes fell on me and his growling intensified. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing.

"What's happening?" The third man asked, distraught. Nick was trying to reach me with his hands now, and I was too paralyzed to do something. Nick, the guy I had known since kindergarten. Now it looked like he was one of them.

The man with the gun fired a shot again, this time in his chest. The thing that once was Nick fell back to the ground, his body jolted, but it didn't stop him from still trying to reach for me. We all watched in horror. The man shot again and again, but the same thing kept happening. I then remembered the encounter with the police officer, earlier.

"The head," I yelled. "You gotta aim for the head!" The man aimed for his head, and fired yet another shot. That seemed to be effective, and Nick finally collapsed again, not getting back up. My heart was pounding in my chest from all the adrenaline.

I stared down at the creature in disbelief. So it really _was_ true. He had died, but came back from the dead. That meant that probably everyone that died, no matter in what way, came back from the dead as zombies. And thousands and thousands of people died every day.

There wasn't much time to think about this any longer, because then I heard more growling. The front door was still open. "Somebody, close that damn door!" I yelled, but it was too late. A zombie came staggering through the door, and he brought company. The man who had held Ben earlier was the first to get attacked. Ben, who was still sitting against the wall, tried to crawl away as soon as possible. I had to think fast.

"Ben, grab that gun!" He did so without hesitation, rose to his feet, and limped towards me. More and more dead came through the door, grabbing the female now. Her cries cut right through my soul, but it was too late to save her. The remaining guys seemed frozen to the ground, sealing their own fate.

"I'll go find Demi. You, get outside and get yourself and Olivia into safety. If I'm not back in 10 minutes, just go." He stared at me, but then nodded, and turned around to set course to the kitchen, where the back door was located.

I myself tried to reach for the stairs, trying to get to Demi who was presumably still keeping watch on the balcony on the first floor, but the hallway was taken over before I could get there. I feverishly started thinking of other ways to save her. Maybe from the outside… I knew there was a ladder, an emergency exit, next to the balcony she was on. That was my only way to still reach her. I sped up to the kitchen, aiming for the door while being chased by a few undead. I was right in time to slam the door shut before they could exit.

Once outside I gazed around, surprised by the number of undead that were roaming around the house. Where did they all come from? Had their attention been drawn by the shots the man had fired? As soon as they noticed me their pace quickened, and I made a run for the ladder, on the other side of the house. I was almost there until one grabbed my leg, making me fall to the ground. Startled I kicked it, trying to get away, but it didn't let go of me. I was terrified.

Then I heard a shot and the creature fell down. It was Ben, hiding behind the garage of his house with a hysteric Olivia behind him. "Come on man, we have to go! There are too many of them."

"But what about Demi?" I shouted. He shook his head, a pained look on his face. "We called her name a few times, she didn't respond. I think she ran. We have to go now, many more are coming. If we don't leave now, none of us will make it out alive." His voice trembled.

I looked up at the balcony, then back to Ben and Olivia, the latter's face was tearstained. "Demi!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, but there was nothing. No reply, no sighting of her. Nothing.

She was gone.

* * *

 **From the next chapter on TWD characters will start joining the mix as well! I particularly loved writing the upcoming character, and the next one. I'm even considering joining Rick's group at the farm, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Just submitted my thesis today, so it is time to publish another chapter again! Finally that stupid thing is over, well, at least for now._**

 ** _I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope it's a good one._**

* * *

 _Demi's POV:_

I had no idea how long I had been wandering around in this forest now, but the sun was already starting to set, which couldn't be a good sign. I ran my hand through my dark blonde hair and sighed. It felt like I had been walking around in circles for hours now. Desperation started to hit me.

Quickly I thought back of the others. That first shot had terrified me. I couldn't hear what they had been saying in that hallway, all I knew was that it sounded heated. It made me feel a little nauseous, really.

But that shot... It must have been one of the strangers who had done that, as none of us owned a gun of any kind. After that more shots had been fired, and I felt the consternation. At that point I was pretty sure at least one of my friends had perished, and it made me sick.

The sound of the shots had drawn the attention of the undead, a few minutes after the first one I saw them coming over the hill. At first there had been just a few, but then the next shots drew more of them to the house. I didn't know what to do. There was no way I could warn them, if there was even anybody left to warn. My thoughts were spiraling and I came to a terrible conclusion.

My friends were probably dead.

Olivia, Ben, Victor. Even Nick. The strangers had killed them, and now they had signed their own demise by attracting zombies to the house. By the howls of it they never would have been able to make it out alive. It was then I decided to run for it. There was a ladder next to the balcony, so I could easily escape from the house without anyone seeing me.

And that's what I did.

I had grabbed my jacket and climbed down the ladder as soon as I could. The creatures hadn't spotted me yet, so I had gotten away fairly easy. I made a run for the forest that went up the mountains, behind Ben's house. I figured it would be the higher, the better. And it wasn't like I had many other options.

Now here I was, wandering through the forest, all by myself. I had no idea where exactly I was, all I knew was that the altitude was changing, meaning I was probably not far from the top. Aside from a few deer I had not seen anything, living or dead. It made me feel relieved, but it also made me panic. I was all on my own now, unprotected and not knowing what to do. A big lump formed in my throat and I tried to swallow it, together with my tears.

I sat down on a rock nearby a small river and took off my jacket. It had been a warm day today, and sweat was oozing down my back. I tied my hair into a ponytail and decided to take a sip of water from the river. I kneeled down at the side, cupped my hands and tried to drink as much water as possible, being completely parched.

After my thirst was lessened I washed my face, washing the sweat and dirt away. The water was cold and refreshing, and I instantly felt better.

Well, physically, at least. Mentally was a whole other story.

I took a big breath, trying to calm myself down, but it didn't work. The faces of my friends flashed through my mind. Olivia, with her big blue eyes and cheeky smile. She had been my very best friend ever since I moved here, and now she was gone. And Ben, with his messy sandy blond hair and his sapphire eyes. I was under the impression we just started to warm up to each other again, but now he was gone for good. A tear rolled down my cheek. It wasn't supposed to go down like this.

And then Victor. If I closed my eyes I could see his face, his sparkling hazel-brown eyes and the short beard he had grown ever since this thing started. We had formed a tight friendship during the time we stayed at Ben's house. I was surprised to find out how nice he actually was, and what a good team we were. During my time with Ben I never thought much of his best friend, but he and I turned out to have quite some similar interests.

I couldn't believe I was never going to see any one of them, ever again. Tears sprung in my eyes again as I hung my head. What was the use of moving on when they were all gone? I didn't want to face this world without them. My life had been tough so far and I had survived so many things already, but without my friends, my family, I just wanted to give up.

A rustling sound woke me up from my thoughts. Immediately I sat up straight, scanning the area around me to find out where it came from. Please don't let it be a zombie, I prayed to myself. I wouldn't have the strength to fight it. The strength, nor the willpower.

But it wasn't a zombie. By the looks of it, it was a human, coming in my direction. But was it a friendly one or one that wanted to cause me harm? I held my breath and narrowed my eyes, trying to determine the intentions of this stranger by its appearance, but the sunset was blinding me. I tried to shield my eyes from the sunlight to get a better look at him.

It was a young African-American man, from what I could see. I was guessing he was in his late teens, a couple of years younger than me. He was wearing a dark green vest, with underneath it a white shirt, and beige shorts. Then all of a sudden he pulled out a knife.

"Woah," I threw my hands up in the air. "Please put away the knife."

He gave me a questionable glance and pointed it at me. "Whatcha doing in the woods, all by yourself? You bit?" His knife made me nervous.

"No, no, I'm not bit or anything. I lost my group. I think they perished…" My voice trailed off, and the boy withdrew his knife.

"What happened?" He asked me.

I looked down. "We were staying at a house down the mountain, but we were raided and overrun soon after. I was able to get away, but my friends… I think they got killed. I was hoping to find them in these woods, hoping they had gotten away as well, but I fear the worst."

The boy eyed me, seemingly not sure whether to believe me or not, but then he extended his hand.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm Noah, and I'm here with my father. We're searching for my uncle, we believe he went to a camp nearby. You can join us if you want. He's catching dinner a little further down the road."

I shook his hand, sending him a grateful smile. I still wasn't sure if this kid was to be trusted, but it was a much better alternative than strolling around these woods alone, especially now darkness was starting to set in.

"That would be great. I'm Demi."

"So, Demi. Where are you originally from? I couldn't help but notice your accent is not from around here." Noah's father, Tyler, sent me a smile from across the camp fire he had set up. I smiled back at him.

"I'm not from around here, no. I was born in the West, 2000 miles from here. I came here for work, and well, part of me came for love, as well." The thought of the latter made my smile fade away.

We were eating roasted fish, fish Noah's father had caught earlier. The scent of it had made my stomach rumble, instantly reminding me of how hungry I actually was. The camp fire also did a decent job of keeping us warm. Although it had been quite hot during the day, in the evening it had cooled off, making it chilly. Suddenly I was very happy with my jacket.

"We're not from 'round here, either," Noah remarked, before taking another bite. "We drove here for a camping trip with my uncle, but we ended up in the middle of the apocalypse," he continued after he had swallowed his last piece of fish. "We been to my uncle's house, but by the looks of it he fled the place. He has to be here somewhere, though. Right, dad?"

The older man nodded at his son. "We'll find him." Then he rested his gaze on me again. "The world has gone to shit, Demi. Noah told me what happened to your friends. You can accompany us to the camp if you like. I think it's best if we all stick together. We can use all the help we can get against these biters." A deep frown appeared on his forehead.

"How much do you know about all this? The apocalypse, and these things?" I asked him.

"I know they're hungry for anything that moves. It's not just humans, they eat animals too. A few days ago Noah and I saw them take down a cow," he pondered. "And a bite, a bite kills. Even if the bite itself isn't fatal."

"We seen it happen," Noah added. "A guy was bitten on the arm. Few hours later he developed a fever, and died. How much do you know about them?"

I was silent for a moment. "Well, I know they're undead, they died and came to life again. And I encountered a police officer who shot them in the head, killing them for good. So aiming for the head, the brain, more specifically, is important."

"You know, Demi, I think the three of us will make a great team," Tyler responded to what I just said.

He handed me a small folding knife. I inspected the knife, unfolding it, and carefully touched the tip of the blade. It was razor sharp.

"You know how to use it?" I slowly shook my head in denial, my eyes still affirmed on the knife.

"No, not against them. I mean, I can cut vegetables, but that's about it."

Tyler smiled. "Let's change that."

* * *

 **I loved Noah from the beginning, even named my new kitten after him (though it's a girl), and I was heartbroken when he died. It was so cruel! Let's just hope my kitten will live longer... She's adorable. Wish I could post a picture of her, but I'm not sure how that works.**

 **Oh well. Let me know what you think so far! The story is pretty pre-written already but sometimes suggestions make me change the whole thing.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Usually I update more frequent, but I happened to be away for the weekend. Sorry! It's a bit of a short chapter, as is the next one, but the ones after that are longer. More action-packed, as well. It still feels a bit gruesome to describe walker kills, but hey, that's all part of the game, I guess...**

 **Also, welcome to my new follower! Dedicating this chapter to you, and to my most loyal reviewer, of course!**

* * *

 _Olivia's POV:_

We had been walking this road for hours now. Hours, and hours to come. Victor had told us we were on our way to find that camp he had mentioned earlier, but I started to think he was just as lost as we were.

And to make matters worse, darkness was starting to set in. I was cold, hungry, thirsty, tired, scared, and above all I was emotional.

"Can we please rest for a minute?" I cried out, desperation resounding in my voice. Ben, who had been walking in front of us the whole time, turned around to face me, visibly agitated.

"We do not have time for that, Olivia. We have to find shelter before it's completely dark, and we'll never find it if you keep nagging about breaks," he lashed out. I tried to blink away my tears.

I stopped walking and put my hands on my hips, facing Victor. "Do you even know where we are? We have been walking for _hours_ straight, and you seem just as lost as I do. How do we even know we're not headed in the wrong direction?"

Victor stopped too. "We don't," he firmly spoke. "But I know that there _is_ a camp somewhere, and I'm dead set on finding it. The most logical place for a camp would be near the city, so that's where we're heading." My heart sank.

"But I have to rest now, and eat something. I cannot go any further. I'm exhausted." A tear rolled down my cheek. Victor looked at me, and then back to Ben, not knowing what to do.

"Okay," he finally gave in. "There's a barn, not far from here. We can find shelter there for the night." I sent him a thankful smile.

Ben rolled his eyes, but came with us anyway.

"Now, let me inspect this barn before we enter it," Victor demanded. "We're not gonna fall from one ambush in another." He carefully walked around the barn, inspecting every corner. Then he motioned us to follow him.

It was a small, deserted barn. I could tell sheep had once been stalled here, a long time ago. I wondered what happened to the owners of the barn. Would they still be alive?

"I suggest we lock ourselves in one of these stables. It will at least protect us from the zombies." Victor said. Ben snorted.

"From the zombies, yeah, maybe, but people? I'm starting to think we have more to fear from the living than the dead." He touched his eye again. A black circle had formed around it. There was still a little bit of dried blood on his beaten face. He looked pretty awful.

I sat down in the hay, and they followed my example. Ben was right, of course. Ever since this whole thing started we had feared the dead, forgetting about the threat the living could oppose. And how absurd was it, that we had lost more friends to the living than we did to the dead, so far? The irony of it made me chuckle.

Ben raised his eyebrow at me. "What are you laughing about?" My smile faded when I saw his angry expression.

"Nothing. It's just, this whole time we were fearing the dead, while the actual enemy came in the form of the living today."

"And you think that's funny?" The tone of his voice made me shiver.

"No, that's not –"

"The living killed two of us today," he interrupted me. "I don't see how that's even remotely funny. Nick and I were friends since high school, we graduated together, and he got shot like a beast today. One of my best friends, gone. And Demi…" His voice trailed off, and he clenched his fists. Then he rose from the ground.

"I'm going to take a piss."

"Ben!" I tried to call for him, but he ignored me and walked off. Tears filled my eyes and Victor put his hand on my shoulder. "Just let him be, Olivia. I think he needs to be alone. It's been an emotional day today, for all of us."

I went through the events of today again, for the hundredth time. I knew I had been lucky to have not witnessed Nick die, but I felt guilty about not stopping him to go check up on Ben and Victor in the hallway.

"This doesn't sound good at all," he had said. "Maybe they need my help. I know how to mediate between groups." I had tried talking him out of it, but he had gone through that door anyway. Seconds later the first shot had been fired. I just knew it had been Nick that got shot. And with every new shot that was fired I felt myself breaking, bit by bit.

When that kitchen door had opened I had not dared to turn around, afraid it would be one of the intruders. But it was Ben, and he had grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. I had cried Demi's name outside but no response had come. Where was she?

There simply wasn't enough time to search the house for her. The undead had found their way to us.

I broke down completely when Ben had yelled to Victor that we had to leave, with or without Demi. I couldn't leave my best friend behind, could I? But I knew there was no other way. The only thing I could possibly do was pray, pray she had found a way out, and was safe.

But it was dark now, and Demi was alone, alone in the dark, somewhere out there. I refused to believe she had perished, but I knew her chances of survival were slim. She could never make it alone in a world like this, could she?

It seemed like Victor could read my mind. "You're worried about her, aren't you?" I sent him a sad smile.

"Do you think she's out there?"

He clenched his fists. "There's one thing I know for sure. She made it out of the house. These things didn't get her."

I sniffled. "But do you think she's still alive?" He went silent and averted his gaze.

"She's strong. I refuse to believe she perished. I just know she's somewhere out there."

"Then why didn't we go looking for her?" Tears were streaming down my face now. Victor still avoided eye contact.

"We have no idea where she could have gone. She could have gone into the forest, or high up in the mountains, and in that case we would have never been able to find her. The area is huge, we would miss out on each other for sure. I don't think she went back to the town. Our best hope is that she also took this road, and is also searching for a camp. That's the only way we'll find her. Trust me, there's nothing I would rather want than to go searching for her, but it's no use. We don't even know where to start. She could literally be anywhere," he concluded.

I knew in my heart Victor was right, I just didn't want to believe it. Demi, my best friend, she couldn't possibly be gone. Could she? I still remembered meeting her, at work. The foreign girl with the dark blonde hair, the light green eyes and the freckled face. The first few days she had been so shy, but once I got to know her I instantly adored her, and we became friends quickly.

And here I was, in the frickin' zombie apocalypse, together with two men I barely knew, while my best friend was nowhere to be found. Life sure had a weird way of working things out.

I lay down on the hay, and closed my eyes.

 _Ben's Pov:_

I was pacing back and forth, clenching my fists and making frantic efforts to blink away my tears. This was all my fault. Nick's dying and resurrection, losing Demi… If only I had not opened that door, if only I had listened to Victor… But I didn't, and I opened it.

I ran my hand through my hair and looked up to the sky. It was filled with numerous stars and constellations, showing a full moon tonight.

It could have been beautiful, if only the world hadn't gone to shit.

With a sigh I sat down on a rock, across from the barn. I didn't even care I was sitting in sight of eventual monsters, living or dead. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Nick, collapsing on the floor after that shot. And how he had risen from the ground as one of them. So all deaths changed you into one of them, not just bite marks.

It terrified me.

And then Demi. My mind wandered back to the day we met, at that party, years ago. She had instantly drawn my attention, and not just because she was late. There was something about her, something enchanting. The way her dark blonde hair fell on her shoulders, the way she used her hands during conversation, the way she had worn her red lipstick…

And now she was gone, and I would probably never see her wear that lipstick again. I had been furious, that day Victor showed up at my house, bringing her along, but after spending these weeks together in times like these I felt like the tension between us had slowly lessened.

But now we were never going to fix things between us. We would never have that talk, the one we so desperately needed. She had broken my heart yet again, but this time she couldn't even help it.

I wiped away another tear. I hated this world. I hated it.

* * *

 **See, Ben isn't so bad... He's actually a nice guy, underneath it all. He just has a weird way of showing it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for your kind words, guys! It really motivates me. And welcome, new follower! At this moment 6 TWD characters make an appearance in my story, and I'm thinking about adding some more. Any suggestions? I have a few of my own, but maybe one of you would like to see a certain character.**

 **Anyway, this chapter and the next will have some Noah again! Re-watched the episodes he's in today, but still can't look at his death scene... Horrible.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV:_

The next few days Tyler started to train me against the biters, as he had dubbed them. At first I had been terrified to even come near them. It might have been zombies now, but once they were mothers, or fathers, someone's child… How could I possibly try to kill them? How could I possibly kill _anyone_? I wasn't made for this world.

But Tyler had taught me how to take them out. I had to, anyway. It was either my funeral or theirs, and I really didn't want to die. Tyler and his son had given me hope, hope to pull through. And that was what I was going to do, even though my heart was still shattered into a million pieces.

It surprised me how many of them had actually found their way up the mountain, into the woods. According to Tyler that meant there was not much left of the city, and something had drawn their attention to come up.

Our days were pretty much the same. We walked through the forest all day, following a marked out path that would eventually lead us to the city, and trying to shield ourselves from the main road next to the forest as much as possible so nothing would not spot us. When darkness started to set in we usually set up a small camp and caught some fish for dinner. As soon as it was pitch dark we went to sleep, so we could leave at the early dawning. Most of the time Tyler kept watch, but sometimes Noah and I covered for him.

As happy as I was with their company, I still missed my friends terribly. At night, when I thought no one could hear me, I cried my eyes out.

"That one's for you Demi," Tyler nodded to the creature that was approaching us. It was an older man. His bloody shirt was ripped, exposing a wound close to the lower abdomen. His faint yellow eyes were affirmed on us. It was as if he was smelling his dinner. I folded my knife.

Well, not today.

The man staggered up to me but before he could grab me, I grabbed his head and plunged my knife in his eye socket. The gore that came with it seeped over my hands, making me nauseous. I felt my stomach protesting. I still wasn't used to it.

Lifeless the man fell down, collapsing now his brain was no longer intact.

I experienced some difficulty trying to wiggle my knife out of his head, it seemed to be stuck in the dead man's eye. Tyler put his foot on its face and pulled it out for me, spilling gore all over my shoes. I sighed.

"Not bad, Demi. Not bad. You're a quick learner. Just don't drive the knife into the temple too deeply. Just destroying the brain seems to be enough. Otherwise you won't get the knife out in time before another one claws at you." He cleaned my knife and handed it back to me.

I nodded, thankful. "Yes, thanks."

"Hmm, just a lone one, that's odd," he remarked, scanning the environment. Every day we encountered more biters in the woods. Tyler had explained to me that they hadn't encountered a single one, the first few days they had sought refuge in the forest, but now more and more of them kept coming. It worried me to say the least. The sooner we would reach that camp, the better.

"Do you have any idea how far that camp still is?" I asked the older man. He thoughtfully stroke his full beard.

"I think we should encounter it somewhere within the next two days. It has to be near the big city, and traveling through the mountains isn't the shortest route. But," he paused for a second. "It is the safest."

He got that right. I was already dreading the moment we had to descent from the mountain, into the big city. The city I used to work, before all this went down. It would be the first time since the apocalypse that I'd set foot in town. I wondered if the building still even existed. Maybe it got overrun too.

"Whatcha thinking 'bout, Demi?" Noah's cheerful face popped up next to me. I smiled at him, shaking my head.

"Nothing special."

"What do you hope to find when we arrive at the camp?" Noah's question made me think. Of course I hoped to find my friends there, but I knew that was just wishful thinking.

"Well…" I responded, still a little distracted. "I hope to find shelter. And I miss sleeping in a bed. Oh, and I'd love to shower." The boy chuckled.

"Yes, a long hot shower… And I hope they have chocolate. I love chocolate. And peanut butter." I nodded, even though I didn't necessarily like chocolate, or peanut butter. Just having something to eat would already be great. The thought of food made my stomach roar. I rubbed it.

"This talking about food is making me hungry. Can we take a break and eat something?" Tyler turned around, wanting to say something, but started gaping at something a little further from the road instead.

"What it is?" I questioned, before I turned around as well. What I saw made my heart stop, and I gasped. Near us, close to the main road, was a herd approaching, even bigger than the one passing Ben's house. One of the biters had spotted us, and started pacing in our direction. I noticed how some of them started to follow him. Noah helplessly eyed his dad.

"There's t-too many of them…" I stammered. Tyler didn't hesitate.

"Run!"

I kept running and running, until my legs gave out. I stopped and panted, scanning the environment. Noah had closely followed me, but where was Tyler? I had tried to keep up with him, but after a few minutes he stopped running and motioned us to get out of there.

"Quickly!" He had yelled, grabbing his knife and handing me his backpack. "I'll try to kill as many as possible. Just run straight ahead, stay off the main road, I'll meet you further down this path. Go!" I had taken over the backpack and had to drag Noah with me, the boy had completely frozen.

"I'm not goin' without ya, dad."

His dad squeezed out a smile. "Just go, Noah. I'll come find you, I promise."

"Come on Noah, we have to." Finally he had moved his feet, but then one of these things came out of nowhere and grabbed him, making them both fall. Their fall had knocked me over, banging my head against a tree. For a moment I just saw stars dance in the darkness, but I immediately realized I had no time to lose. Quickly I had grabbed my knife that was attached to my belt and grabbed the biter's head, his teeth clenching at me. I plunged my knife through the forehead of Noah's attacker with great force, withdrawing that knife from its head with equal force. Blood had splashed all over him, but at least it hadn't been his.

He had pushed the dead creature off of him and jumped up, frantically viewing his father, who was fighting off some biters himself. "Please Noah, Demi, go!" Tyler shouted at us once again. "Just go!'

Finally we were able to successfully flee the scene. Now there was no biter in sight.

We were at an open spot, halfway down a mountain. It offered us a clear view on the city, but what I saw didn't comfort me. The big city, the one I had been to many times before, it all looked deserted now, thick clouds of smoke ascending. Cars were stranded on the road, even some tanks. And I believed to witness staggering figures, but it was too far away to tell.

Noah panted next to me. "My old man – you think he'll be able to find us here?" I gave him a compassionate smile.

"Well, this is where the path ends. If he followed the path, as he told us to do, it will lead him here." He stood next to me, gazing down on the city. His face fell.

"Man, that don't look good. That don't look good at all. What the hell happened down there, Demi?"

I slowly shook my head, not able to provide him with an answer. I really started to wonder what we would find once we would enter the city. I wasn't even sure if entering the city was a good idea to begin with. What if there was no camp anymore?

He scanned the area. "Should we even go down there? I don't see no camp over there."

"Let's just wait for your dad, okay? He will know what to do." I tried to comfort the boy, but it didn't help.

We made sure there was no biter or other dangerous creature nearby and set up our camp. Tyler and Noah had originally planned on going on a camping trip with Noah's uncle, and their equipment sure came in handy right now. There was one big tent and two sleeping bags, one of which Tyler had handed me, saying he didn't need one. It kept us dry from the rain and shielded us from creatures that meant harm, at least for a little bit.

Noah and I ate some berries for dinner, as there was no pond around to fish in, and after the sky started to darken I started to get really worried about Tyler's fate. We had been here for hours now, and there was still no sign of the older man. We had followed the path as we were supposed to, right? There was no other place he could have ended up. Unless… I swallowed.

"Do you think we have to go looking for my dad?" Noah eyed me. "He still ain't here. Shouldn't he have been here by now?"

"I'm sure he'll be just fine, Noah. Your dad knows what he's doing. Maybe he's leading the biters away from this spot. Or maybe he encountered some other survivors," I added, when I saw the doubt mirrored in his eyes. I was clearly unable to convince him.

Suddenly we both heard a rustling sound, and our eyes crossed.

"Grab your knife, Noah," I warned him, and the boy did so. I reached for mine in my pocket and took a combat stance. The rustling became louder, something was closing in on us.

But then I saw what it was, and my heart plummeted.


	10. Chapter 10

**So... I have added some really cool TWD characters! Two characters that have been the center of more fics... No, not Daryl. But I can't wait to continue writing about those two! They match up real nice with one of these characters...**

 **Oh, and we all know Noah's father didn't die like that.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV:_

"Dad!"

Noah's face went from wary to intense happiness. Tyler came limping from the bushes, looking injured and bloody, but also alive.

The boy paced up to him and I followed, still on guard. "Are you okay, dad? Did you get bit?" We both offered the older man a hand and supported him back to our camp. Once there he sat down, clearly distraught. He let out a deep sigh, and then faced us.

"I-I was almost here when I heard people cry for help, and I, well, I just couldn't turn away. I had to help them out. But I was too late, the man had already died and the girl was close to dying. It was awful, she was gutted, her intestines hanging out…" I put my hand over my mouth, feeling the bile burning in my throat and desperately trying to swallow it. "There was nothing I could do, except put her out of her misery." He gazed at his bloody hands.

"But why you limping, dad?" Noah asked the question that had also been on the tip of my tongue.

Tyler looked down at his leg. "I fell. Could've cost me my damn life. I tripped over a tree branch, probably twisted my ankle. Luckily there weren't any biters near, or they would have gotten me."

I let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God. You had us really worried. But it's good to have you back."

Noah gave his father a tight hug, making me smile. I was happy for them to be reunited, even though it stung a little.

"Shall I keep watch tonight?" I offered. My head was still painfully throbbing, but it seemed like Tyler could use all the rest he could get.

He smiled back at me, his face contorted with pain. "Thanks, Demi. Did you get a good look on the city? How bad was it?" He nodded towards the big city, and I gazed at it. There weren't any lights ignited. The big city that once seemed so full of life was dead now. Or undead. I wasn't sure.

Giving him a doubtful look, I said: "Well, I did. On what was left of it, anyway. The city seems pretty much destroyed." He started massaging his temples, clearly exhausted.

"It might not look good, and I understand if you don't want to come with us, Demi, but I have to find my brother. I have to go down there. There must be a camp around there, it's where he would have went."

"No, no," I quickly spoke. "I want to come with you. Besides, after today I don't feel comfortable about staying in these woods, either." Thinking about surviving in these woods alone made me shiver. There was no way I was going to do that.

"I'm gonna keep watch now. You two, get some rest, try to recover as much as possible. We still have a long way to go tomorrow." With those words I stood up, getting ready to do my duty. It was going to be a long night.

" _Have you already decided on a desert, babe?" My blond-haired company gave me a warm smile, making my knees weak._

" _I'm full. My main dish was way too much." The man chuckled at me and shook his head. It made his hair dance._

" _Your eyes were bigger than your stomach once again, right?" I sniffed. "Oh well, I think I'm set on coffee. But first, it's time for a smoke." He got a cigarette out of his pocket and I rolled my eyes at him._

" _Are you coming with me?" He asked me, tilting his head and curling his lips into a cheeky smile. "Please?" I sighed, giving in to his request, and rose from the table. It was just impossible to refuse him anything. Still shaking my head I followed him outside._

" _It sure is cold outside tonight." I remarked, shivering. Ben responded to my words by wrapping his free arm around me, and his body heat warmed me up immediately._

" _It won't be long before winter will kick in," he responded, while gazing at the sky and lighting his cigarette. He started rubbing me and for a moment, I felt completely happy._

" _Hey, what's that? Over there?" Ben looked to his left, to the graveyard next to the church. "What do you mean?" I followed his gaze, but didn't see anything._

 _He pointed towards the graveyard. "You don't see that? These people wandering around at the graveyard?" I gave him a questionable glance, but then I saw it too. There seemed to be a few of them, staggering around. What a weird time to visit a graveyard, at this hour._

 _Ben quit his cigarette and let go of me. "Let's see what they're doing there. For all we know they are grave robbers. I heard they were active, lately. For all we know they're robbing my parents' grave. Let's take a look." I opened my mouth, but he started walking before I had thought of something to say._

 _A bit wary I followed him to the graveyard. "Come on, Demi," he motioned me. A knot started forming in my stomach. People wandering around the graveyard at night…. That could never be good._

 _He opened the gate to the graveyard. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" He addressed one of the persons strolling around. I slid my hand in his, squeezing it. He squeezed back._

 _One of the persons turned around. But it wasn't a person. It looked like one, but it definitely wasn't. Whatever it was, it was covered in blood, with pale-ish grey skin, and bloodshot eyes. It opened its mouth, exposing its bloody teeth. Ben and I both gasped._

 _The thing staggered up to us, his snarling got louder as he came closer. Ben tightened his grip on my hand. The other human-like creatures started taking an interest in us as well. I swallowed._

" _Demi? Run!"_

 _Ben dragged me back to the restaurant we had been eating. But just before we arrived, I tripped and fell, twisting my ankle and letting go of Ben's hand. I cried out in pain and fear as the creatures were closing in on me. Ben stopped running and sped up to me._

" _No Ben, stay away, get yourself to safety!" I yelled at him, but it was too late._

" _I am not leaving you here. No way. I'd never." And he reached for my hand._

 _But before I could grab his, one of the creatures came from behind and sunk his teeth into his shoulder. Ben fell to the ground, screaming. My eyed widened in horror. I wanted to cry out for help but no sound came out of my mouth._

 _Another creature crouched down on him and ripped open his lower abdomen. A wave of nausea hit me and I started to throw up. I could not believe what I was witnessing. "Ben, no…" I stammered. "No!"_

 _Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I started screaming and kicking but something placed a hand over my mouth._

"Demi? Demi! It's me, Noah. It's okay."

I opened my eyes, staring into two dark brown eyes. It made me gasp, and the boy set a step back.

"You okay, Demi? I heard you mumble, but then you started screaming all of a sudden. Did'cha have a nightmare or somethin'?"I blinked a few times, eyeing the environment. I wasn't at a graveyard, or in the town I used to live. I was in a forest. And Ben was nowhere to be found. It was just a dream. Noah was still staring at me.

"For how long was I asleep?" Suddenly I paled. "I'm so sorry. I must have been really tired. And my head still aches like hell from that fall." Noah patted me on the back. "It's okay, I was already keepin' watch anyway. I didn't wanna wake you, thought you could use the rest. You seemed to be having a really nice dream, well, before you started screaming. You kept smiling in your sleep." I felt my cheeks color.

"But then you started mumbling and right after you started screaming. You had me worried, Demi."

I sent the boy an apologizing glance. "I'm sorry, Noah. I was having a nightmare. It was horrible, just horrible."

He returned my smile, but then he got serious. "Was Ben a member of your group? You kept mumbling his name." I looked down, a little ashamed.

"I was with my best friend Olivia when this whole thing came down. Ben was my… Well, I loved him." I hesitated a little, but Noah gave me an encouraging nod. "We met some of his friends and decided to seek refuge in Ben's house. He lived up the mountain, we thought it would be safe. But then we got raided by some people and I think they shot them, all of them." Tears filled up my eyes. "I was keeping watch on the balcony, but I was too late to warn them. After the shots were fired the house got overrun. I don't think they made it out. Now they're dead because of me."

Noah patted my back. "I'm sorry for your loss, Demi. But you sure they're dead?"

Slowly I nodded. "I heard multiple shots getting fired. None of us owned a gun. And even if they did survive that, the house got overrun shortly after. Chances they survived are slim. At first I kept hoping I would run into them in the woods, but I didn't, so…" My voice trailed off, and Noah sent me a compassionate glance.

"Luckily you found us, then. And we're planning on stickin' around. Once we reach the camp it will all be fine, Demi. I just know. There they can look at my dad's twisted ankle, and we'll finally be safe," he said with certainty resounding in his voice. I was a bit more skeptic.

"Just go rest a lil' bit. I'll keep watch." I gave him a nod and rose to the ground. "If there's anything, just call, okay? I don't think I'll be sound asleep anyway." He smiled at me.

"I will. Thanks, Noah." I said before setting course to the tent. I lay down and gazed at Tyler, who was fast asleep. With my nightmare still vividly on my mind, I didn't expect to sleep much at all tonight.

And yet I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **That's it for today! I personally really like the next 2 chapters. It will introduce some new characters - OC and TWD, and I enjoyed exploring them.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Obviously this story isn't set in Atlanta, it's set in Europe, since that's where I'm from. I won't say which country this takes place though, use your imagination! It's a mountainous area, with cute little cabins and stuff. I noticed I do have a reader that's from that area. Anyway, so I brought these TWD characters to Europe, so to speak! Pretty cool.**

 **And welcome to my new follower! I hope you enjoy the story.**

 **By the way, last night I wrote a one-shot about a TWD character. Still debating whether to put it online or not. What do you guys think?**

* * *

 _Victor's POV:_

"We're lost, aren't we?" Olivia's annoyed voice echoed. Ben quickly shook his head.

"We're not lost. I'm just not sure where we are at the moment, that's all." She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"That is the definition of lost, you know. Not knowing where you are."

"I said I wasn't sure, not that I didn't know where we are."

The blonde wiped away sweat from her forehead with the palm of her hand. "God, and you grew up here. How can you not know? Who put you in charge anyway?"

"Guys, please," I intervened, causing them to both give me a vile look. "Stop bickering. It's the fucking apocalypse. Things as lost or not lost no longer exist here. All that matters is that we find shelter, or a camp. Any camp, for that matter, as long as that means we're safe for the night." I extorted.

To be honest, I didn't know where we were, either. We had stayed in that barn for a couple of days, trying to determine our plan. It was old and dusty but at least it had managed to keep us safe, and there was a small vegetable garden around the corner. After that we had left the barn, and Ben had claimed to know how to get to the city in the safest way possible.

So here we were, climbing all the way up, high in the mountains, fighting ourselves through bushes that had left me covered in scratches. But Ben had been right about one thing; we hadn't encountered a creature in days. The same went for the living. We had seen some small groups passing by the barn, but ever since we followed Ben higher up into the mountains, we hadn't seen a single person.

Ben crossed his arms while Olivia indignantly sniffed, but at least they were quiet. "Now, if we want to find out how far away we are from the city, all we have to do is find a river, and follow it."

The blond man rolled his eyes at me. "So, you're a survivalist expert now?" I sighed.

"No, but as any other boy around here, I went camping with my father when I was a child. And he taught me that if I ever get lost, I should just follow the water. The water will come down somewhere, and from there we can locate where we are. Or did you have a better idea?"

Olivia swung her hair over her shoulder and sent Ben a triumphant smile. "Vic's right. Even I could have thought of that. Let's do that. At least it's more useful than just wandering around, going nowhere."

Ben muttered for a while, but then he followed us.

It seemed like my plan was successful. It took us a while to find the water, but once we did it was all a matter of following the stream. I was happy to find out we weren't far from the city. But coming closer to the city also meant coming closer to the undead. The sky was already darkening when I spotted one, wandering down the stream.

I motioned Olivia and Ben to be quiet and picked up a rock from the ground. Slowly I started to approach it, as it had not spotted me yet. I cornered it from behind, and then I smashed its brains in with my rock. It fell to the ground and I kept smashing its head in until its movements faltered. Not much was left of its face, but I could still distinguish a man in it.

Olivia put her hand for her mouth. "This is still making me sick. That was a human, some time ago."

"I know," I replied, throwing away my rock. "But you better get used to it. We will encounter more on our way down, might be many more. And in that case I won't be the only one smashing their brains in." The girl swallowed, and Ben looked at the gun attached to his belt.

"Staying high up in the mountains almost seems a better alternative than going down there," Ben sighed. I gave him a compassionate look.

"I know, but sooner or later we will have to descent. We can't wander around here forever. We need to find a camp where we can stay, something protected."

Olivia gazed at the darkening sky, worried. "I think it's time for us to go find shelter for the night. I would hate to wander around here during the night."

"I know there are some cabins in the mountains, cabins where we can stay. This path does look familiar, and if I'm right, there is one half an hour from here. It may not be much, but it's all we got right now. I suggest we go there and spend the night, we'll see what happens from there." I nodded to Ben.

"Okay, lead us the way, captain."

It was completely dark when we arrived at the cabin. I decided to make a quick walk around it to inspect it.

The cabin was small and looked deserted, with lots of windows which were framed with blood red hatches. It could've given off a romantic vibe, if circumstances had been different.

"Is it deserted?" Olivia asked me, not knowing what to expect. I hushed her, and continued to investigate. But suddenly lit candles through the window caught my eye. It wasn't deserted after all; there were clearly people inside. But would they be welcoming towards us?

I did not get the time to think about or discuss it with my friends, because then we heard a voice.

"Who are you and with how many? Are you armed?" It was a woman's voice, pinning us to the ground. I decided to put my hands up and slowly walk up to where the voice seemed to come from.

"I'm Victor," I tried, "and I have come here with my friends Ben and Olivia. We seek shelter for the night. We'll be gone in the morning. Could you please let us in?"

The woman seemed to hesitate, as it stayed quiet, but then she cautiously opened the front door. A young woman was standing in the doorway, holding a candle, and her eyes affirmed on me.

"So it's just the three of you then?" She didn't seem to believe me.

I nodded. "Yes, just the three of us. We mean you no harm, I swear. We just need a place to stay the night."

Finally she stepped aside to let us in, and I entered the cottage. Ben and Olivia followed me closely. Once inside, the girl carefully shut the door, locking it. Now that I got a good look at her, I could tell she was quite young. She had red curls dancing around her face, which was full of freckles. I extended my hand.

"Hi, I am Victor. Thank you for letting us in."

She was hesitant to take my hand, but after a few seconds she did so anyway. "I'm Hannah."

We all followed her to the main room of the cabin, where we encountered five other people. One of them was definitely Hannah's younger brother, as the similarities between the two of them were unmistakable. There was also an elderly couple and 2 other men. I noticed how disappointed I was when I realized Demi wasn't here. Part of me had hoped she'd be in here as well, safe and sound.

Hannah introduced us to her little brother and the rest of the group, while I introduced my group to them. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but we were all survivors to a horrible event, something that caused us to bond quickly. Hannah and her brother, who must have been around 10 years old, had been here almost since the start, as their parents owned this cabin. The elderly couple had stayed with them from the start, and the men had joined a few days ago.

"Excuse me," Olivia started off after a while. "Did any of you, by any chance, encounter a dark blonde girl, with light green eyes, probably wearing a black leather jacket?" They all shook their head, causing Olivia to look down in disappointment. From the corner of my eye I noticed Ben doing the same.

"Oh… Okay. We lost her, and I was hoping she had flown high up the mountains." She hung her head.

"It's horrible down there," one of the men spoke. "At least these monsters wouldn't be able to climb here. There's no way I'm going back down there."

"I actually spoke to a police officer. He told me about a camp. It's supposed to be nearby, somewhere," I started off. "There will be food, water, electricity, protection. I think our chances there are better than up here. Up here you'll be running out of food with no chances of restocking it. People might come and take over this place. It happened to us. We're going down tomorrow morning to find that camp, you're welcome to join us," I offered the man, but he violently shook his head.

"No way, I'm staying."

Hannah's little brother, Daniel, curiously eyed me. "These monsters, what are they like? I haven't seen them, I only heard stories. Our parents told us to stay in the cabin while they went down to check up on the situation, but they never came back." He looked down in sadness.

"It's horrible down there," Olivia spoke up, her voice steeped with emotion. "They look like humans, but they're not. They're deadly, I've seen them tear people apart."

"But how?" The child asked, and I shook my head.

"I don't know. Nobody knows what caused this, or how widespread it is. The news stopped broadcasting weeks ago. All I know is that there's so many of them, while there are so few of us left. They can kill you in an instant. It's madness."

"Then why in the world would you go down there?" Hannah raised her eyebrow. "Why not stay here? I haven't encountered any of these things yet, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Because we're hoping to find our missing friend there. I just know she's still out there, and if she is, I'm positive she would go find that camp. We just have to try. Besides, we just encountered one of these things not far from here. They will be coming up here eventually, when the food stream down there ends." I responded to the girl. I saw Ben eyeing me at the word 'friend'.

Before all of this, Demi and I had never really been friends, she was just the girl my best friend fell for, and when things went wrong between them I was initially just as mad at her as Ben was. I hated to see my best friend getting hurt. But I had really gotten to know her these past few weeks, and I had started to grow fond of her. We had shared numerous deep thoughts about this whole situation and we matched on a lot of levels. And even though I still didn't know how or why she had broken Ben's heart, I had gained lots of respect for her.

Olivia's eyes lit up. "She's gotta be there, right? I know Demi, she's strong. I bet she's already waiting for us at that camp. She has to."

"You are all nuts," Ben suddenly spoke up, clearly annoyed. "She's not at any camp. She probably didn't even make it out of the house. You guys are wrong." All eyes were on him now.

"But we gotta try, Ben. We have to keep our hopes up. It's the only way, right, Vic?" I nodded.

"You're idiots. I'm not sure if you noticed, but this is the fucking apocalypse. There is no hope. Not anymore. We will all perish against these things, sooner or later. If you still have hope you're just lying to yourself. Things will never get back to the way they were." I noticed tears welling up in Olivia's eyes.

"Come on, man. Don't be like that." I tried to save the situation, but he already rose from the table.

"Good luck with giving yourself false hope on finding her. If you need me, I'll be upstairs, in my bed." With those words he stormed out of the room, leaving us all puzzled.

* * *

 **Way to kill the mood, Ben...**

 **I'm so excited to introduce the next TWD character, next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay, new chapter! Meant to update sooner, but I have a busy week this week, and wasn't quite satisfied with this chapter. But now I have editted it and it's time to share it with the world!**

 **Also, welcome to my new followers! I was overwhelmed by how many views I have gotten over the past few days. I am writing just for fun, and the largest part of this story is already written, but it does motivate me a lot to see people are actually reading it. So thank you all for reading this!**

 **With that being said, there's definitely a lot going on in this chapter. See for yourself!**

* * *

 _Demi's POV:_

The next morning we left just before dawn. I was exhausted, having barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Ben, getting ripped apart. It was horrible.

Tyler's ankle wasn't as swollen as the night before, but we still could not move fast and we had to take numerous small breaks so he could get his rest. Other than that we hadn't encountered the undead for hours, and I was almost relieved that the descending journey was going so well under these circumstances.

Almost.

Through the dense forest I could see the contours of the city, looming up in front of us. It was a beautiful day today, there was no cloud in sight, making the mountains look even more beautiful against the azure-blue sky.

But there wasn't anything alive in sight. The city was seemingly deserted. As we moved closer we drew our knives, just in case we would encounter a biter. Noah let out an astonished sigh as soon as we set foot into town. There were deserted cars standing on the road, and stuff was scattered on the ground.

"Man, this place is deserted. Nothing. Where did everyone go?" He opened one of the car doors and inspected the interior. "A camp?"

I also started looking around, holding a firm grip on my knife. It was quiet in these streets, much too quiet, and somehow I doubted all of the inhabitants were safely stocked in some camp.

Noah walked up to another car door, opening it, and let out a sudden scream. Tyler and I paced up to him, relieved to see the corpse that had fallen out of the grey station wagon wasn't moving.

Noah crawled up, looking distraught. "Woah, didn't see that one coming. Luckily it was already dead."

I crouched down and took a better look at it. It must have been a woman once, judging by the floral dress she was wearing. She seemed to be deceased for a while now, her eyes rotten from their sockets. A little disgusted I turned her over and stood up again.

"Tyler? What way do we go now?" I asked the older man. "Where do you think the camp is?" He gazed around, not sure where to go, but then his eyes fell on a supply store. Its window was shattered, indicating it had most likely been robbed earlier.

"Let's take a look in that supermarket, maybe we can gather some food for on the road first. It might be far, still, and we could use some supplies." He motioned us to follow him through the broken window.

Once inside I saw a trail of blood, splattered all across the floor. Quietly and a bit nervous I followed the trail, only to find two biters in the back, feeding on human remains. The very sight of it made me nauseous, and I let out a gasp. I set a step back, trying to back away from them as quiet as possible so I could alarm Tyler and Noah, but accidently placed my foot on a bag of chips. The crunchy sound got the attention of one of the biters, and he looked up, eyeing me. He rose on his feet, grunting, and started coming towards me. The other one started to do the same. I sighed.

I grabbed the first one at the back of his head, and plunged my knife in his temple. As quickly as I could I released my knife from his head, and tackled the other one, both falling down and knocking over a rack of packaged foods. I gasped as he fell on top of me, his teeth clacking at me and his hands reaching for me. I tried to push him off of me with my one free hand so that I could free the other, but he was just too heavy.

All of a sudden the biter got stabbed in the head from behind, and lifelessly fell back onto me again, his gore seeping over my clothes. When I looked up I gazed in Noah's dark eyes. He pushed the corpse off of me and extended his hand, helping me up.

"That was a close one, Demi. You gotta be more careful next time, or else there won't be no next time." He spoke admonitory.

I wiped my hands on my trousers, which were beyond saving anyway. "Thanks, Noah. God, I could really use some new clothes. Just look at me." He eyed me and started laughing.

"Man, I just saved your ass, and here you are, complaining about a lil' blood on your clothes."

"It's not a little."

Tyler's call alarmed us. "Noah, Demi, we have to go!" We quickly exchanged looks and went up to Tyler. His backpack was stuffed with groceries. "That falling rack made too much noise. We drew too much attention." He carefully stuck his head out of the window to check, but immediately retreated, paling.

"What is it, Tyler?" He didn't answer, but limped up to the back of the store. We followed him closely.

He yanked the door open and motioned us to walk through it. I turned around to look behind me one more time, and saw dozens of biters stagger through the broken window. In shock I put my hand over my mouth, but Tyler pushed me through the door.

"There's no time to waste!"

He closed the door just in time, shutting out the approaching undead. Now we were in a dark hallway, and not being able to see anything terrified me. The scent was unimaginable and the banging on the door didn't exactly make it any better. Tyler rummaged through his backpack and ignited a small flashlight, shining just enough light for us to see the end of the hallway.

"Where do we go now?" The panic was resounding in my voice.

"Stay together, and draw your knife. We don't know what's waiting for us around the corner," Tyler warned us, prompting me to unfold my knife again. My heart was pounding in my chest. Who knew what would be waiting for us at the end of that hallway…

We all moved very carefully, scanning the area for threats. Suddenly I stepped into something sticky. Tyler heard me gasp and shone light onto the ground. It was a thick, dark-colored substance.

I had just stepped into a puddle of blood.

"Oh, God…" I stammered, backing away. That could only mean the undead weren't far away.

We slowly moved to the end of the hallway, Tyler ahead of us. Once he reached the corner he carefully shone a little bit of light towards the adjoining hall. All it did was show us another door. "Should we open it?" I hesitated.

"Of course we should," Noah hissed at me. "Or were you planning on staying in this hallway the rest of your life?"

Tyler slowly put his hand around the door knob, taking a deep breath before he finally opened the door. He shone his light into the room, and we saw eyes flicker in the dark. Almost immediately we heard grunting, following by faint footsteps. He tried to close the door again, but not without breaking a few fingers from a female biter in the process. I could see the nails of her pale fingers had once been painted blue. Finally she withdrew her fingers, and the door slammed shut.

Noah slid down against the door, burying his head in his hands. "Man… How are we ever going to get out? This is hopeless. We're stuck here." Tyler looked around, his eyes searching for a way out, but Noah was right. It was hopeless. There were only two doors in this hallway, and both of those were swarmed by the undead. We were never gonna get out of here in one piece.

"I suggest we try to escape through the door that brought us here. We don't know where that other door will lead us. And maybe we're lucky, maybe these biters have wandered off already. It's our best shot," he added when he saw our shocked faces. "Draw your knives, aim for the head, be as quick as you possibly can. Run as far away from here as you possibly can."

"But dad, you're hurt," Noah tried, but Tyler shook his head.

"We have to get out of here. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just keep running, I'll fight them off." I opened my mouth, but he firmly shook his head and put his hand on the knob.

"On my signal. Three, two, one… Go!"

The door opened, biters tumbling over each other to get in. Tyler grabbed the first one and plunged his knife through its brain. He gave me a quick glance, and I remembered to do the same. I fought my way through the biters, hacking them to bits with my razor sharp knife and the crowbar I had found earlier. I rapidly threw myself through the broken window of the store, fighting my way out of it while I kept running until I was out of breath.

But then, at an unguarded moment, I got attacked from behind. I thudded to the ground, losing my knife, and the biter kept reaching and clawing at me. I tried to hit him with my crowbar, but he was too heavy and I couldn't reach for his head.

He was so close now that I could smell his rotten scent. It was exactly how you'd imagine death to smell like, and I knew that soon he'd have _my_ dead scent all over him.

Tears sprung into my eyes. It wasn't supposed to end like this, not like this…

Then, suddenly I heard gun shots, and the biter on top of me stopped moving. I completely froze. I don't know why the sound of shots still made me react so intense. In this new world gun shots were more common than the sound of chirping birds.

"Are ya comin', or what?" I heard a raspy voice that clearly didn't belong to Tyler, or Noah. Where were they? Last time I had checked, Noah was right behind me. Now there was no sign of him anywhere.

I pushed the corpse off of me and rose from the ground, still a little dizzy. In front of me was a man in his mid to end forties, I assumed. He had very short, greyish-brown hair, and he appeared to be missing a hand.

"The others… Where did they go?" I stared at him questionably. The man shrugged, and then he shot another few of those things.

"Alrighty then, suit yourself, missy. I'm outta here." The man walked away, leaving me behind.

"No, wait!" I ran after him, but he kept walking. I frantically scanned the environment, but there was no sign of Noah or his father anywhere. "My friends, we have to search for them! One of them was hurt. They can't be far," I begged him, but he kept walking. "Please."

Finally he stopped walking, and faced me. "Yer friends are as good as dead. And if they're not, they've abandoned ya. Welcome to this world, girly." In shock I opened my mouth, but closed it again. He gave me a triumphant grin and started walking again, shooting some more biters. "I'd find some good shelter, if I were ya. It's a dangerous world on yer own."

"What, wait, on my own?" I had to walk fast to keep up with him. "Can't I come with you?" He stopped walking again.

"Do I look like a frickin' daycare to ya?" Confused I blinked a few times.

"Then why did you save me, if you're sending me out on my own again? You can't do that. It's inhumane." I put my hands on my hips, but that didn't impress him at all.

"Must've been a fit of insanity. Took you for that blonde bitch from my group, from afar. Already regrettin' it. You're the first, and if ya keep naggin' like that, you'll also be the last."

I stared down at his stump. It looked pretty fresh, as if it had happened recently. "Hey, what happened to your hand?" The man held his stump in the air, observing it.

"Met up with the wrong people. But they'll pay for it," he grunted. I noticed more and more undead were approaching us. The must have been drawn to us because of the gun shots.

"You gotta stop shooting, man." Panic resounded in my voice. "It attracts the undead. Do you by any chance happen to know where the nearest camp is?" The man laughed, while taking out some more undead.

"Yer looking for a camp?" He shook his head. "Darling, did ya honestly expect there were still camps 'round here?" My face fell.

"What?"

"You can trust good ol' Merle here. Yer screwed, girly."

* * *

 **Yay, Merle! I had so much fun watching his episodes back. And well, I guess we all knew Noah was going to end up at Grady's one day... Maybe he'll return. Maybe not. I'm not sure yet. But if you want him to return, well... You know what you gotta do!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I've been trying to update from my iPad all day, but my iPad had messed up the whole lay-out, so I had to wait until I had access to a computer again... So here's a quick update before I go to sleep. Had a long day, but ended up making marshmellow cookies with a 10 year old, which was better than you'd expect.**

 **And thank you for the anonymous reviews and readers as well! I just hope y'all enjoy this as much as I do. Let's provide Ben with a little back story in this chapter. He's really not as bad as he seems, you'll see...**

* * *

 _Victor's POV_ :

I just couldn't sleep.

It had been a while since I had last slept in an actual bed. It was a fantastic bed, with lots of blankets and a soft pillow that made me loosen up. It could get pretty cold at night, this high up in the mountains, but at least I was safely inside, in a warm bed.

And yet I just couldn't sleep.

I hated arguments, even more so when they happened between my best friend and me. I had known Ben ever since kindergarten, we had become instant friends. We had graduated high school together, and I had been accepted into college. Ben never was the college kind of guy, he much rather worked 2 jobs.

We had drifted apart, a little. I really took law school seriously, hoping to become a lawyer one day, while Ben was all night out partying. I had several serious relationships whereas he was used to the casual flings. We were no longer two peas in a pod.

But these past few years we had rediscovered each other again, and soon things were back to how it had always been.

That was before I had found out he had started using again.

Drugs and alcohol had always been problematic with my best friend, ever since he had discovered them early in high school. Every time he felt sad he depended on these substances to feel alive again. We had gotten into various fights about it, but it never made him quit. The guy was an adult, and it was his life. I knew losing both of his parents in a car accident had taken his toll on him, his life hadn't been easy. But I could see his lifestyle was slowly destroying him.

And now he had accused me of liking the girl he had been in love with.

"Why does finding her back mean so much to you? You like her, don't you? I've seen you look at her," he had said, with fire in his eyes. "I know those eyes. You're desperate to find her because you like her."

I had shaken my head in disbelief. "I don't know what you're talking about, you're delusional. She's my friend, I just want her to be safe."

He hadn't believed me.

I knew he was having a hard time now. In few days' time he had lost his house, all of his stuff, and possibly the girl he was still in love with. Because I knew he was. As much as he kept denying it, and as much as he kept bitching about her, I just knew. I was his best friend, after all. And I would never ever like a girl he was into.

Right?

Besides, we did not even know if she was still out there. It had been a week now, more or less. Could she have survived for so long, on her own? Maybe she had met up with another group, I knew there were others like us, the elderly couple had told us all about it. I could only hope that she did, and that we would find her, safe and sound at one of the camps that had been set up by the government.

I also realized that Ben had been without his substances for a week now. He was showing symptoms of withdrawal. He was extremely irritable, restless. He had barely slept these past few days, and he kept lashing out at us. Both this and his fantasized thoughts about me and Demi being together had made him burst this night.

I could see from my bed that he was asleep now. His eyes were closed and I could see his chest moving in the rhythm of his breathing. Olivia was on the other bed, also sound asleep. I noticed how she was drooling a little. It made me giggle quietly. I had great respect for her. It must have been hard for her to be stuck with two guys she barely knew all the time.

But right now we were in a bed, in a secured cottage. We were inside, safe and sound. Probably safer than we had been in a while.

Then why couldn't I fall asleep?

The next morning I awoke before dawn. I was happy I had been able to sleep in a little, but now I was wide awake, so I might as well go downstairs anyway. I rose from the bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Ben and Olivia still seemed sound asleep. I envied them a little.

"Oh, hey," I greeted the red-haired girl when I entered the cabin's living room. It was a big but cozy room, with lots of cute curtains and a big heater. It reminded me of home.

Hannah looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at me. "Hi. You're awake early. I didn't expect anyone here. The other survivors usually don't wake so early." She scoffed. "Survivors, what a stupid word." I sat down next to her, eying her book.

"What were you reading?" She stared down at her book, as if it was new to her too.

"I'm reading Broken Dreams. It's fantasy, my favorite genre. I had always wanted to become a writer. Well, before all this. " She sighed, her eyes looking somber.

"They're not coming back, hm?" The girl suddenly said. I stared at her in confusion. "My parents, I mean. They went down to check out what was happening. It's been weeks." She looked down, tears glistering in her eyes.

"I don't know, Hannah." I didn't know what else to say. She closed her book, putting it on the table in front of her. It looked like it had been read many times before, some of the pages were torn.

Hannah affirmed her gaze on me again. "Your friend, do you really believe you'll be able to find her?" I was silent for a few moments.

"I do. I just know she's still out there, I feel it."

She tilted her head a little. "Is she your girlfriend?"

I quickly shook my head. "No, no, she's not." The girl bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. "Is she the other guy's girlfriend? I'm sorry, I heard you guys arguing yesterday night. Is he always this irritable?"

I cracked a small smile. "No, he's not. He's just had a difficult week. We all had, actually. One of our friends died last week. He got shot." Her eyes widened.

"Really? Wow, that's not what you would expect in a zombie apocalypse." I gave her a wry smile. "I'm sorry for your loss. It seems like we have to fear more from the living than from the dead. That's how this world works now. It's every group for itself."

Hannah gazed out of the window. The sun already started to rise. It seemed like today would be one of those perfect summer days. Except for the fact that, you know, we were in the middle of the damn apocalypse. Summers would never be the same again.

I cleared my throat. "I'm going to wake up the others. We wanted to leave early this morning, so we will arrive at the camp before darkness sets in." I rose from the table, but then Hannah grabbed my arm. Surprised I faced her.

"Please, take me and my brother with you to the camp. You were right last night. It's probably safer down at a camp than it is up here. Soon we'll be out of food, too. I can't risk it." A bit uncertain I eyed her.

"Are you sure you want to? It's a whole different world down there now. I can't even guarantee we will find a camp once we're arrive at the city." She shook her head.

"That's okay. Maybe I'll find my family in the city. Maybe they have been taken to the camp against their will, because it would be safer. Do you think that's even possible?" She looked hopeful, it broke my heart.

"I, eh, I don't know. Let me discuss this with the others, okay?"

Ben let out a deep sigh. "Do you seriously want to take a child with us? Absolutely not." She indignantly put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a child, I'm seventeen!"

"That's exactly what I mean. You're just a teenager, I bet you can barely defend yourself. You'd only slow us down," Ben sneered at the girl.

"Come on Ben, we have a gun, and there are plenty of knives and other weaponry we can take from here. I can't let them stay here. Staying here is suicide." I tried to plead with him. I could see where he was coming from, but I couldn't stand the thought of leaving them here.

"I also think we should take them with us," Olivia spoke up. "We can't just leave them here." Ben shook his head and sat down, clearly dissatisfied. "Fine, take 'em then."

Hannah immediately cheered up. "Thank you," she responded, but Ben had buried his head in his hands. "Man, these headaches… I wish they'd just stop. It's killing me." He rubbed his eyes and then he looked up again. "You don't happen to have a bottle of liquor anywhere, right?"

We all looked at him in disbelief, Hannah just looked startled. "Eh, at seven in the morning? Isn't that a bad idea?"

"It is," I responded, my gaze affirmed on Ben. I knew where he wanted to go with this. "Come on, man. Don't do this. You know it won't make you feel any better."

Hannah stared at us, not sure about what to do. Ben rose from the table. "Fine, I'll find it myself, then." And he was gone.

Olivia sighed. "He really has a problem, hasn't he?" She whispered to me, and I slowly nodded. "Shouldn't we go after him, to make sure he's okay?" I looked down.

"He's an adult. There's nothing more we can do than to warn him. He makes his own decisions. Decisions that will get him killed one day." She patted my back.

"Let's get our stuff, so we can leave as soon as possible. Hannah, Daniel, do you guys have like backpacks or anything?" Hannah nodded. "Okay, please go get them, stuff some food and water into them. That way we should be fine on our way down. I'll find some weaponry." The girl smiled at us and speeded away.

"Are you ready for the descent, Vic?" I smiled at her.

"No. But we're gonna have to be."

At eight Ben, Olivia, Daniel, Hannah and I were ready to leave. The rest of the survivors didn't want to come with us, so it was going to be just the five of us. The red-haired girl hopped from one leg on the other. I could tell she was nervous.

"It's going to be okay," I tried to comfort her. "We'll arrive at the camp before you know it." Ben only snorted. I could tell he was a little tipsy, which was why I had taken his gun. The last thing I wanted was for him to accidently shoot himself, or others.

We said our goodbyes to the rest of the survivors and started the descent. It was a quiet road, and we barely encountered anything besides some sheep. I almost started to think the apocalypse might be over.

That thought quickly faded away as soon as we neared the city.

* * *

 **Broken Dreams is actually a real book! My friend and most loyal reviewer Maddy wrote it. Go look it up on Amazon (or )! I read it, and it's awesome.**

 **Next chapter will be fun, and the chapter after that is one of my favorites. I love writing Merle, he's a fun guy. Not the nicest one, but hey, it's the damn apocalypse. Can't have it all, can you?**


	14. Chapter 14

**HellaChloe: I like Hannah too! She's the smartest of the bunch, actually. Next chapter Merle and Demi will make their comeback, so you have to be a little patient, but it's gonna be fun! Merle is my favorite character to write so far.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Yeah... He does. And you know what they say... Things will get worse before they get better.**

 **Gosh, I think I edited this chapter like a million times. Still not completely satisfied, but it's the best I could do for now. My thesis supervisor was happy with my thesis, which made me happy, and made me feel like updating. Soon I'll be a Master of Science! Fun fact is my thesis is actually about disasters... Well, not about the apocalypse, of course. My supervisor would probably kick me if I would start discussing that in my thesis.**

* * *

 _Victor's POV:_

The city looked deserted. Fires had ravaged the place, cars were burned and windows shattered. This image that was burned on my retina seemed to come straight out of a war zone. Except there were no soldiers, only bodies. I could see from where we were standing that bodies were scattered across the street. Death was all around us.

Olivia covered her mouth with her hand, while Hannah gasped.

"Which way do you think the camp is?" The blonde girl asked me, still in shock. I shook my head.

"I'm not sure."

Actually I didn't even know if it was near the city, but that had seemed like the most logical option. Where else would they set up a camp? I remembered that police man saying it wasn't far from our town, and because of that I had assumed it was close to the city.

But maybe that wasn't the case at all.

"What happened to the city?" The little boy asked me, his voice trembling. Olivia turned to him, and crouched down so their eyes met. She put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm not sure, Daniel. I think the police officers tried to kill the things attacking us, and bombed the city or something, to kill as many of them as possible."

"I think we can stop searching for a camp around here." That was Ben's voice. "Nothing living will walk these streets anymore. Olivia is right, the place looks extinct. If there is a camp, it's not around here." He slurred a little.

"Maybe there's a camp somewhere next to the highway. I mean, most people fled town - and probably the city as well - via the highway, right? I think it would be a good idea to just start walking the highway, and see where that leads us," Hannah offered, while looking to the highway over her shoulder.

"That might be a plan," I responded, my eyes lighting up. Why hadn't I thought of that?

It didn't take us long to reach the highway. As soon as we arrived at the intersection, I gawked my eyes out. There were all these cars, stranded on the highway, but only on the way out. The road into the city was empty.

"All these people just... Fled in wild rage, didn't they?" Hannah asked while observing the road. She slid her arm around her brother, trying to shield him from the ghastly view.

"Maybe the situation in the city became untenable. The dead chased them out, but caught up with them on the highway anyway." I remarked, checking up the cars. There were bags in it, and suitcases, as if all these people had planned on leaving for a longer time. Something made them leave it all behind.

"But where did the passengers of the cars go?" Daniel's eyes were filled with fear.

I wasn't able to provide him with an answer. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to think about where those people were right now.

Ben opened a car door, and found a bottle of water on the passenger seat. "Ah, water. I've been thirsty for hours." He opened it and greedily drank half of it, causing Olivia to get irritable.

"Yes, I can only imagine," she mocked him. "Consuming all that liquor must have made you perch in thirst. You could have at least shared it. Jackass." He gave her an offended glance.

"Guys, guys, we're all thirsty, and hungry as well. Let's just loot these cars, see if we can find anything that's usable. I don't think the owners will come back for it anyway," I tried to calm them down.

We all moved up the road, checking these cars for supplies or new clothes. Olivia even found camping gear, consisting of a small tent and some unused sleeping bags. We decided to just take it, you'd never know when it would come in handy.

Then a staggering figure drew my attention. A man. I motioned the others to be quiet, and clenched to the hammer I had found a while back. He started pacing when he noticed me, obviously hungry. Fantastic.

As soon as he was within reach I delivered a blow to his head, causing him to fall down. I crouched down and kept hitting him until his face was nothing more than a gory pulp. I rose to my feet and turned around to find Hannah in shock.

"What _was_ that?" Her eyes were big, her complexion pale, and her hands trying to cover Daniel's eyes. "Was that... A person?" I wiped the blood from my forehead, remembering neither Hannah nor Daniel had ever seen an undead person before.

"Used to be, yes. It's the teeth and the hands you should watch out for. One scratch, one bite; it kills."

"If there's one out here, doesn't that mean more will follow?" Olivia asked, looking nervous. She hadn't spoken her entire sentence, or I spotted another. Now everyone looked nervous.

"Why don't you just shoot it?" Ben proposed. "I'd do it, but you still have my gun."

"No, we're not shooting. It would draw out too much noise. Let me handle it." This time it was a woman, and I was on her menu of the night.

I firmly hit her against the side of her head, cracking her skull, but she was able to grab my arm before she hit the ground, dragging me down with her. I heard Hannah gasp in horror as an immense feeling of pain shot through my body.

Something had cut open my thigh.

"Shit!" Ben grabbed a metal rod from the ground and started bashing the woman's skull in, until she stopped moving. I felt the blood gushing out of my thigh and tried to stop the bleeding with my hands, but the blood seeped through my fingers with great force.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I heard Olivia curse. She pulled her shirt over her head and pushed it against my wound. "We need to stabilize it, otherwise he'll lose too much blood. Does somebody have a shirt for me I can tie around it? Anybody? Please!" Her eyes rested on Ben, and he quickly got out of his shirt.

"Did he get scratched?" I heard Hannah ask, and I saw Olivia shaking her head. "Not that I can see. He fell against a piece of metal, slitting his thigh open." I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness.

"He's not going to die, right?"

No one responded.

Olivia put her hand on my forehead. "Stay with us, Victor. Please. Fight it." But it was already too late.

Everything went dark.

I heard birds chattering and people softly speaking. Those were sounds I hadn't heard in a while.

My eyes slowly opened, and I tried to blink a few times. My throat was completely dry and my neck felt stiff. As soon as I tried to sit up, a horrendous pain shot through my leg. I gasped and reached for it, but it was bandaged.

Vivid memories shot through my mind, making me remember everything again. Something had slashed open my thigh on the highway. But how did it get bandaged?

And where was I, anyway? It looked like I was in some sort of trailer, in a field bed. Kind of the trailers you would encounter on a camping holiday. I had often stayed in such trailers when I was still a child.

Suddenly the door swung open, the sunlight blinding me. "Vic! Oh, it's so good to see you're awake! You've been out for days, I wasn't sure you'd make it." I was pleased to see Olivia. The blonde girl gave me a bright smile, and then handed me a glass of water. I could barely hold it, so she helped me drink.

I coughed a few times. "Olivia... What... Where are we?" My voice cracked. She sat down at the side of my field bed.

"It's okay, we're relatively safe here. After your thigh got slit open at the highway, we had to go find shelter. Luckily Hannah and Daniel remembered this camping site. It's pretty shielded from the world, and I haven't spotted a single walker since we've arrived here. There's plenty of food, water, supplies... And best of all, these trailers can protect us at night."

I stared at her. "Walkers?"

"Yes, Hannah came up with the word. It sounds better than _things_ anyway," Olivia smiled apologetically. Right at that moment Hannah came through the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and her lips curled into one big smile.

"Thank God you're awake! How are you feeling?" She questioned me, placing her hand on my forehead. "Is your fever gone?"

"I have a major headache, and my thigh hurts, but other than that I'm fine. Alive," I concluded after the little inspection. "Thank you guys. Where are Ben and Daniel?"

Hannah smiled at me. "Ben decided to take Daniel fishing. He seems to be doing better. Both of them, actually." I returned her smile. "Ben was so moody when we met him, but for some reason Daniel really brings out the best in him." She let out a relieved sigh. "Hey, are you hungry? Wanna eat?" Quickly I nodded, and my stomach growled at the thought of food.

Hannah brought me some prepared fish and told me more about the location we were currently at. Apparently this used to be an old camp site, where people came to enjoy the beauty and quietness of nature. There was a large pond nearby, and we were surrounded by a dense forest and bushes. I had heard of the place, actually, back when the world was still normal, but this had always been a very touristic spot. That same tourism was what probably had saved my life now.

I smiled as soon as I limped outside of the trailer. There were a few small tents and two trailers, and all this camping equipment that had probably been abandoned by feeling people. Olivia had even found a way to wash our clothes. I watched Ben and Daniel play in the water from afar. Olivia emerged next to me.

"Isn't this place perfect? We have all we need here. We can stay here, at least until you are recovered. We can always go find the camp after that. Your recovery is what matters most now." I nodded at her, and sat down to give my leg some rest from standing.

"Yes, it's perfect for now. Thanks for saving my life," I thanked Olivia, who dismissed it with a faint smile.

"Of course. You're my friend. Hey, we all make a great team right now, let's try and keep it that way, okay? No quarrels, no inconsistencies. Just keeping each other safe, look out for each other."

I nodded. I knew what she was referring to. Ben and I still needed to talk, I was well aware of that.

But right now the sun lit my face and I breathed in fresh air. For the first time since this all started I felt like I could genuinely smile again. We had already made it this far. That talk would come some other time.

Little did I know our world was about to get shaken up again.

* * *

 **Ready for some more Merle? I sure am!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Gosh, your reviews and DMs actually intimidate me! In a good way, it makes me wanna do better. Had a crazy busy week, but I got the whole night to write some new stuff. I got a pretty good idea of where this is going now. It's gonna be a little more TWD.**

 **Yes, I also like walkers more than biters. Biters sounds governor-like. This camp is kind of the same idea as the TWD camp in season 1. Will it end the same way? Who knows (well, I do)!**

 **And Ben... Well, I wouldn't necessarily call him a nice guy, but he's not a bad guy either, just messed-up. I'd say he's doing better now, and kids are more prone to seeing the best in everyone. But does he have a trick up his sleeve? Definitely.**

 **But first: more Merle! Love that guy.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV:_

It was hard to keep up with Merle, not in the last place because he didn't want me to keep up with him. We had left the city some time ago, after the undead kept coming at us. Merle had said he knew how to get to safety, but I started to doubt that.

The man wasn't much of a talker, he had barely acknowledged me the whole time we had walked this road. All I knew was that he got chained to a steel pipe on a roof top which made him hack off his own hand, and now he was out there hunting down the ones responsible. He had also mentioned something about finding his baby brother, but he hadn't shared much about that topic.

"Merle? Merle! Can you please slow down a bit? I am pretty much burning up here." We were in the middle of a highway, and the sun was at its strongest now. I was afraid I'd just burn at the spot.

Merle ignored me and kept looting cars. Just as I was about to call him out again, he pulled his head out of the car he was currently looting.

"That sure as hell ain't my problem, blondie. Besides, yer the one followin' me around. I never asked ye to come." He continued going through the bag he had found. "Oh, sweet!" He held up a small handgun. I walked over to him, to inspect his catch.

"Nu-uh," he shielded it from me. "Go find yer own. This one still has ammunition. Sweet days. I ran out of mine in the city." I shook my head.

"That's fine with me. I don't know how to shoot anyway." He threw me an incredulous look. "That some kind of joke? It's the damn end of the world, girl. I'd learn how to shoot by now if I were ye."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, where was I supposed to get a gun? I don't know what kind of person you think I am, but I don't have guns lying around my house just like that." The man shook his head.

"Yer as good as dead then, sweetheart," and he continued his way. I paced up next to him.

"But can't you teach me then? To shoot, I mean? Take these things down?"

He stopped moving and faced me. "Teachin' ye how to take them uglies down, huh?" I quickly nodded in agreement, and he bursted out in laughter. "And why'd I do that?"

"So you don't have to take care of me."

"I ain't planning on takin' care of ye."

I sighed. "Well, for now we're stuck together anyway, so we might make most of it while we're at it." Suddenly Merle hushed me, and I indignantly wanted to curse at him, but then I saw what he was directing at.

He kneeled down at the corpse of an undead creature, and saw another one lying a few meters further down the road. He stared down at the gory pulp that once was the creatures' head, and growled.

"People."

I kneeled down next to him and observed the corpse. The head was completely beaten to a pulp, presumably with a blunt object. I wondered who'd be capable of doing such a thing. Merle moved up to the other corpse, and the discovery he made, made me uncomfortable.

"Blood, and it ain't from this ugly whore," he carefully observed. The dead woman lay in a pool of dried blood, someone's blood.

"Whose blood is that? Did that person get bit?" I hesitated to ask. If the answer was yes, that person was now one of them and probably lurking around the area. I quickly got up and immediately started to scan around the area, but didn't see anything suspicious from where I was standing.

Merle followed a trail of blood, which stopped at the side of the road, leading into the forest. He swiftly drew his gun. "Hey, wait a sec, you weren't planning on following that blood trail, right?" I yelled at him. Suddenly I heard growling, becoming louder. Merle threw me the gun he had found earlier. I was barely able to catch it, but I did.

"Consider this yer first lesson, blondie." Behind me an undead was coming my way. I stared down at the gun in my hands. I had no clue on how to use it. My hand was shaking and I intensified my grip, putting my index finger on the trigger. The creature came closer and closer, ready to eat me. I could hear Merle chuckling in the background, finding my lack of how to handle a gun hilarious.

Then I fired, but hit it in the chest, which slowed him down but didn't stop him from moving. The blast was loud and deafened me for a matter of seconds, but I couldn't let that throw me off guard, I had to think quickly. The head, the head was what I should be aiming for. I shot again, but blew its jaw off. That still wasn't enough and I started to panic. I took another shot, this time finally hitting it in the head. The creature finally collapsed and fell to the ground. Sweat was rolling down my face and my hands were aching.

"Just in time, blondie. Next time, don't wait so long." Merle chuckled, and I sent him an angry look. The adrenaline was rushing through me, shooting it had given me such a kick.

"Looks like yer second chance is coming up," Merle nodded to another creature coming up. I grabbed the gun again, and pointed at it. The first shot was too low again, but the second didn't miss its target, and it fell down.

"Don't wanna take away yer fun sweetheart, but these shots are really drawing them to this place. If ye wanna live, I'd hurry if I were ya," and he stepped over the crash barrier, disappearing into the woods. I quickly followed him, while taking another few down in the process.

Soon the woods became more and more dense, and I started to feel lost. "Merle, where exactly are we going?" It felt like we were walking around in circles.

"Followin' that trail of blood. Could be my brother's, or from that nigger who chained me up in the first place. If that's the case, he gon' wish his momma was still 'round. I'll surely finish the job for 'im." I blinked a few times, and prayed that wasn't the case. I didn't look forward to that confrontation.

Suddenly the trail stopped, close to a small pond. Near the bank I found 2 bloody shirts, looking strangely familiar, but I didn't know why. Merle picked them up and threw them in the pond. "Basterd must've changed his clothes here or somethin'." He cautiously looked around, trying to find clues as to where the injured person could have gone.

Then his ears pricked up. "You hearin' that?" He gazed at me, and I stared back at him. "Hear what?" We were both quiet, and I tried to listen very carefully. I did pick up something, and it almost sounded like... Laughing? Merle motioned me to be quiet, and slowly creeped to the waterfall at the end of the pond. He crouched down, trying to look over the edge. What he saw made him smile.

"Well, holy shit, a camp." A bad feeling took a hold of me as I saw him grimacing. "This is too sweet." Beneath us I saw a young boy and a girl fishing, and laughing. It was too far away to take a good look at them, I could only see their backs from here.

"Well, are ye comin' or what, blondie?" Merle called for me. I looked over the edge one more time, before I rose to my feet. "Right behind you."

We descended, and tried to get a good look at the camp. It consisted of two trailers and a few smaller tents. Merle kept chuckling to himself. "This is just too sweet. It's time to practice your aim on the living, girly." I stared at him in utter shock.

"What?"

"Ye believed they'd just hand over their stuff to us without puttin' up a fight?" He laughed.

I stared at him in disbelief. "But what if your brother's down there, at that camp? We're not hunting the living here. Maybe we can ask them if they've seen your brother, or that group that left you on the roof. You don't have to kill them."

He reached for his gun and lay into position, aiming his gun at a trailer. "My brother ain't there. He's out there lookin' for me too. We were plannin' or raiding the camp we were stayin', no way he stayed there after what those worthless basterds did to me." He looked down on his stump, getting fired up again.

"But what if they aren't those basterds? What if these people are just random survivors that never met you or your brother?" Merle snorted.

"Then today wasn't their lucky day."

He cocked his gun, ready to take the first target out. I saw a man coming outside of the trailer, walking up to the young boy and the girl. The little boy turned to him and he crouched down to him. The man was tall but thin, with sandy blond hair and a catchy smile. He spotted a small beard. My heart started beating faster.

"So long, white boy," Merle smirked, aiming on the man.

"No, wait!" I cried out, causing Merle to give me an annoyed glance. "What now, blondie? Ye gon' give 'nother lecture?" I tried to keep my voice from shaking.

"I know that man."


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for everyone that is sticking with me on this story so far! And thank you for your kind words. I wrote a lot this weekend, I am at chapter 30 right now I think, but not quite satisfied yet... So anything could change. I have pretty much written down how I want things to happen, anyway. Let's see how that works out.**

 **Yes, hugs! And honestly, do you all think Merle would kill people just like that? Well, maybe he would. But not today. I'd like to believe he was just trying to scare Demi off.**

 **Anyway, some things will become clear in the next few chapters. A lot of things, actually.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV:_

"Hey Danny, caught us some fish?" I walked up to Daniel and Hannah, giving the latter a nod. She smiled.

The boy's eyes lit up. "Wanna see what I caught, Ben? It's the biggest fish _ever_! Wanna see?" I crouched down so our eyes met, and placed my hand on his shoulder. I had gotten quite fond of the young boy. Things were already bad enough as they were, but somehow this kid had maintained his innocence, still getting all excited about small things, like catching fish.

His presence made me feel so much lighter, in a way. As if there was still hope for this world.

"Show me, great fisherman." Daniel was just about to reach for his bag when Hannah froze to the ground, staring at something behind me. Daniel's smile faded away.

"What is it, guys?" I asked, before I turned around. What I saw made my heart stop, and my face pale.

No. That's not possible. That's just not possible. No way.

There was a girl coming out of the woods, making her way towards us. A girl in her mid-twenties, with dark blonde hair and light green eyes. Her clothes were covered in blood, but she looked as lively as ever.

Demi.

Behind her a man in his mid-forties followed. He had greyish hair, a wrinkly face, and he appeared to be missing a hand. He looked annoyed.

"Ben! It's really you!" Her eyes shimmered while they filled up with tears.

I could only stare at the both of them, opening my mouth, then closing it again.

"Lost yer tongue, boy?" The man asked a little irritable. I stared at him, and then back to Demi.

"I... Demi... I can't believe it. Is it really you? I mean, it looks like you, but I just can't believe it. How did you...? Where did you...?" I stumbled over my words. My heart started beating incredibly fast all of a sudden, as if I had just come back to life again. The blood pumping through my chest made me feel dizzy.

She came up to me and buried her face in my chest. "I thought I'd never see you again." She muffled in my shirt, and I stood there awkwardly, finally wrapping my arms around her. I hadn't expected her to do this.

"Okay, lovebirds, time to break it off now," the man dryly remarked. Demi quickly let go of me, as if she had only now realized what this looked like, and faced the man again.

"Well, ask him, Merle." The man snorted, rolling his eyes. "He ain't here, obvious to me," he growled.

She sighed and turned to me again. "Does, by any chance, a man named Daryl reside here? Or did you meet anyone by that name?" I feverishly started thinking, but I couldn't remember meeting anyone named Daryl. There were these men at the cabin, but neither of them were called Daryl, as far as I remembered, at least. I shook my head.

"No, sorry. I don't think so." The man called Merle let out a sigh. "Fantastic. Well, blondie, the pleasure's been all mine, but our road ends here. Gotta find my baby brother."

"But you can stay here, if you want. Just don't even think about raiding us. You could be safe here," Demi started pleading with him, and I swallowed. The man didn't look too friendly, I wasn't sure if I even wanted him in our camp. Much to my pleasure he rejected Demi's offer.

"With you, the scrawny white boy, the kid and the teenager? Nah." And with those words the man took off.

"Nice friend you made there, Demi," I remarked sarcastically. She sighed as she watched him make his way through the forest again. "Yeah, Merle... Never met anyone quite like him. I owe him my life, though. I'd be dead without him. Hey, but where are the others? Olivia, Victor, Nick?"

I looked down, staring at my feet. "Nick, he didn't make it. He got shot by the home invaders. The shots attracted walkers to the house, killing the invaders. That is how we were able to escape. Victor went back for you, but you were gone. You had us worried sick, Demi. All this time I thought you were dead." My voice trembled, and I affirmed my gaze on her again.

Suddenly I heard a cough next to me.

"Are you going to introduce us to your friend here, Ben?" Hannah tilted her head, and I blushed.

"Shit, of course. Demi, this is Hannah. We met her in a cabin where we stayed, up the mountain. This is her little brother, Daniel. Hannah, Daniel, this is Demi," I nodded to them, and watched Demi shake their hand. "I've heard so much about you," Hannah said, smiling. "I'm happy to see you're alive and well."

"Where are Liv and Vic?" She curiously eyed me. "They did make it, right?" She looked hopeful.

"Actually," I started off, and her smile faded. "Victor got badly injured, a few days ago. He's fine now, but for a time I was afraid we were gonna lose him. He's resting in the trailer, Olivia is taking care of him. I will take you to them. They'll be so happy to see you're okay."

Her eyes sparkled.

"Please!"

The reunion went exactly as you would imagine, with lots of screaming, hugging and crying.

Olivia had barely been able to let go of the girl, crying her eyes out. Victor had responded a little calmer, but in the end we were all overwhelmed by joy to have Demi back. It was something I never thought to be possible. We shared our stories with each other about where the both of us had been, and the people we met, and were all in shock about Demi's story. She had made quite a journey.

After the catching up we all ate dinner, consisting of the fish Daniel and I had caught, and decided Demi would share a trailer with Victor and me.

For the most part I could only stare at her. I never thought she'd still be alive, and I'd see her again. Somehow this changed everything. That second chance that had seemed stolen from us had suddenly returned.

Something was different about her, though.

She seemed braver, feistier. There was this strength displayed in her eyes. This Demi seemed determined on surviving this thing. The old Demi had been scared and fearful, but this Demi... The world as it was today seemed to have hardened her, and I had yet to determine whether that was a good or a bad thing.

Victor and I hadn't spoken about Demi ever since our falling out back in the cabin. Victor had seemed happier at the sighting of Demi then he had wanted to show me, I knew that much. I knew the guy like my own shadow.

And I knew I had overreacted when I had accused him of liking her, but part of me still believed it was true. I had watched them grow closer at my house, closer than I'd liked, and that made me a little bitter. He seemed like a sheep whenever she was around, agreeing on everything she said, comforting her all the time, and following her around with his eyes.

But then the home invasion had happened, and those suspicions all disappeared, as if they were never even there to begin with.

I wondered how our dynamics would be change now Demi was back again.

A few days later Daniel and I decided on going fishing at dawn. Daniel claimed to have learnt at school that during dawn the biggest fish spawned, so we decided to put that to the test.

I had spent a lot of time with the young boy ever since we had arrived at the camp. Hannah and Olivia had still been wary of me, and even Victor seemed to be on guard around me, but Daniel had actually sought my company. Of course, I was the only guy around, since Victor was out of the running due to his injuries, and Olivia and Hannah quickly bonded over what Daniel mockingly called 'girl-stuff'. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed his presence.

"See, I was totally right!" He grinned after reeling in another monstrous fish. I chuckled. "Guess school isn't so useless, after all." Daniel stared at me.

"Well, I used to like school when I was around your age. But then I got older, and I started getting more interested in things that had nothing to do with school. Like partying, and girls," I added when I saw the young boy looking confused. A wrinkle appeared on his forehead, as if he was thinking hard. It made me smile.

He averted his gaze to the water again. "Well, girls are sucky." He said, screwing up his nose.

"That's what you're saying now. Just wait until you're a few years older. You'll be a solid heartbreaker, young man." I chuckled, but he looked down.

"Do you think I'll still be alive in a few years?" He bit his lip, and I stopped chuckling. The apocalypse had changed our whole future. Things as partying and girls and school all didn't matter anymore. All what mattered now was surviving, not getting bit. That would be our future now.

"Is Demi your girlfriend?" The young boy suddenly asked, waking me up from my thoughts.

"What? Why would you think that?" He stared into the water.

"It's just... It's the way you look at her. It's how my daddy always used to look at my mommy. She looks that way at you sometimes, too." I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Well, she's not my girlfriend, kid. Not anymore."

"Why not?" The boy's eyes widened. I sighed and focused my eyes on the pond again.

"Things happened between us. She left me. It's complicated, Daniel."

The boy was quiet for a while, but then he spoke again. "Well, then she's just plain stupid. You're cool." I smiled at the boy, messing up his hair with my hand. He giggled.

"Thanks, mate. Hey, I think we caught enough fish now to eat for a week. Let's go back, okay? Let's catch some z's. I'm still tired." The buy jumped up. "Yes, let's do that! Hannah will be so happy!" I shook my head at his excitement. I thought it was incredible the boy was still so cheerful. I really hoped he'd never lose that.

I dropped Daniel off at the trailer. "Aren't you going back to sleep?" He asked me, looking surprised, when he watched me walking away. "In a sec, I just remembered I left my knife back at the pond," I responded. The boy took comfort in that answer and closed the door. I turned around and walked back to the pond. A few meters before reaching it I stopped walking, kneeled to the ground, and started digging. A big bottle of liquor appeared.

I let out a relieved sigh. It was still half-full.

Greedily I got the bottle out of its hiding place and took a sip. The whiskey burned my throat, but made me feel happy inside. Liquor numbed my worries and made me relaxed, like the drugs did. I had been quite happy when I had discovered the great liquor coverage back at the cottage, and I just couldn't help it, but I had stashed my backpack with bottles of liquor. The world had gone to shit, anyway. Might as well have a little fun.

And the past time at the camp sure had been fun.

Yet I didn't want my friends to know. Especially not Demi. They had all applauded me for the improvement in my behavior. Little did they know what had caused that happiness.

And I was destined to keep that hidden from them. I wasn't hurting anyone with it, right? It was just to keep myself happy, and to numb all these new worries this world had brought me. It really wasn't as bad as they thought. Only good things had come from this so far.

Though I already feared the day after my last sip.

After a few gulps of alcohol I decided to head back to the trailer, and go to sleep again. Both Demi and Victor were still asleep when I entered.

My eyes fell on Victor. My best friend seemed sound asleep. I tilted my head a little.

Then my eyes shifted to Demi, who was sleeping in the bed next to mine. The dark blonde girl slept with her mouth a little opened, which brought a smile to my face. We had grown closer again, ever since her return, a development that had secretly made me very happy.

I had been angry at her for our falling out for a long time, and it was still a sensitive topic which we had managed to avoid until now, but somehow the apocalypse and the scare of losing her for good had changed things. It had taught me that life could be over the next day, and second chances were scarce nowadays.

Maybe something good would come out of this apocalypse, after all.

* * *

 **So... This can never be good, now, can it?**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Does Ben suck at making choices? Yeah, you could call it that way... But trust me, his decisions come with a price. Soon enough. But not just yet. Merle is gone for now, but don't worry, he'll be back... Sooner or later.**

 **Also, welcome new follower! Hopefully you will enjoy my future updates. If not, let me know!**

 **I guess you're all wondering why and how Demi and Ben got on such bad terms, and well, in that case, this chapter will explain. Oh, I almost forgot, another TWD character will be introduced in this chapter.**

* * *

 _Victor's POV_ :

I just knew she'd come back.

I had always known it. Demi, the way I perceived her at least, was a strong character, one that knew how to survive in times like these. She wasn't emotional like Olivia, or stubborn and hot-headed like Ben. She wasn't afraid of death, like I was.

Out of all four of us, she was probably the only who could have survived in this world alone.

That didn't mean I wasn't happy with her return. It was the exact opposite; seeing that playful grin on her freckled and sunburned face when she came through that door was the best thing that could possibly have happened to me.

I tried not to let it show, though. The argument I had with Ben was still lingering in my memory, and I didn't want to stir things up. We were gonna live as a group again, and arguments sure wouldn't make things easier to adjust to the current situation.

No, if there were gonna be arguments, it wouldn't be because of me.

The following days I tried to carefully walk again. My thigh was still hurting from the impact and I had lost a lot of blood, but I was doing better every day. In this pace, I would be back to my normal state in no time.

In the meantime Ben and Daniel provided us with fish they caught, Hannah did her best at hunting squirrels, and Olivia and Demi were busy gathering berries and washing clothes. We all had our duties here at the camp, and we all did our very best to make the most of it.

One evening Demi decided to join me for a walk, something I could only cheer for. We hadn't had a one-on-one talk ever since we got her back. She walked up to me, greeting me with a big grin.

"Hey Vic, ready for your walk?" She had her hair tied up in a ponytail, a few hairs peeking out. The sun had definitely made her hair a little lighter, and it had multiplied her freckles.

I stood up from the camping chair I had been sitting in; it went relatively easy. "I think it won't take long before I'd be able to travel again," I observed the wound. I was lucky to not have suffered from an infection. I may have barely survived it, but now it seemed it would soon leave nothing more than a nasty scar.

"Man, you sure were lucky," Demi remarked, staring at my bandage. Another thing to be lucky about; one of the trailers had contained a first aid kit. "When I saw all that blood on the highway, I was sure that person had been bitten, and died. I thought it was an awful idea of Merle to follow the trail into the woods, but now I'm glad he did."

Demi had told us all about Merle, the man who had saved her when things went awry in the city. He didn't sound like the nicest guy ever, but I was thankful she had ran into him when she did. We walked for a little while, and then we sat down at a little creek.

"I think it's absolutely amazing you found us," I smiled. "Even more so that you made it out of the house. I went back for you, you know, but you were gone. Made me lay awake for nights." I stared down at my feet.

She touched my arm. "I'm sorry, Vic. I felt so awful about leaving you guys behind, but when I heard those gun shots I thought for sure they had shot you all. I mean, Ben told me what actually happened, but I had no idea. I felt so guilty afterwards, I should have warned you." I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"It's okay, everything's okay now. And we have found one another back, that's what counts."

She sent me a wry smile and pulled her hand back. Was it me or was she blushing a little? "I guess you're right. It's horrible Nick didn't make it, though. And I can only pray for Noah and his dad. Maybe I'll go back for them, try to find them," she said, determination displayed in her eyes.

"Woah, Demi, I don't think the city is the place to be right now. The place is swarmed with undead. It would be too risky," I shook my head and she hung hers.

"I just hope they're doing okay, you know." Suddenly her face cleared up. "Ben, on the other hand, he seems to have found himself again."

I chuckled. "Yes, one of the advantages of a zombie apocalypse. No more substances. He was awful at first, I think he suffered from withdrawal symptoms. And probably the idea of losing you made him lose it," I added. "He still loves you, you know."

To my surprise her smile faded away.

"You think so?"

"I know my best friend. You broke his heart. Not many girls were able to do that, but you managed to do that. If you don't mind me asking… Why did things end between the two of you, anyway?" I tilted my head a little, wondering if she would answer my question at all.

She started observing her black Converse sneakers. There was still a blood stain on one of them.

"It was stupid, really. He was stoned, _again_ , and we got into a fight. I just couldn't take it anymore. His substance abuse bothered me immensely, but I was too much of a coward to say that out loud, so I just picked a fight with him over nothing. It went back and forth, from bad to worse… Things got pretty ugly between us. In the end I stormed off, bitter and confused. He told me that if I left, I didn't have to come back. He kept his word." Her smile was bittersweet.

I scratched my head. "Losing his parents made him lose his sobriety. But losing you that day made him lose his mind completely. It only made him use more." She started plucking at her shoelaces.

"My life hasn't been easy, Victor. Did you ever wonder why I moved thousands of miles to come live here?" I slowly shook my head. To be honest, I had never really thought about it. I knew Demi wasn't from around here, but I had never asked any questions.

"I fled," she continued. "From my ex-boyfriend. He was an addict, and very violent. He started threatening me after we broke up, I just wasn't safe there. I was actually fearing for my life. The things he did to me, while being under influence..." Something started dawning on me.

"Then I got a job offer for this place. Ben was the only one I knew around here. Our friendship turned into love, and I considered him a safe haven. But then I found out about his… Issues. It just reminded me so much of my ex-boyfriend, I couldn't deal with it. All I wanted was to start over, a clean slate…"

She blinked away her tears. "I know that he was obviously struggling with himself, and I walked away from it all. He needed help, and I left. That's why I came back. I decided it was time to share my past with him and find him some help, but I was too late. He refused to see me…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes were somber.

This information dazzled me. "Wow, Demi… So he has no idea about what has happened to you?" She firmly shook her head in denial. "I should have told him, I know. I was a coward, I was scared he would judge me and leave me for it. People tend to do that when they find out, you know. They start looking at me with pity in their eyes. I just wanted to start over here, and I wanted this new life so badly, but the old one still had its grip on me." She angrily rubbed the upcoming tears away.

"I never meant for all this to happen…"

Instinctively I put my arm around her, trying to comfort her. "Ohh, Demi..." She rested her head against my shoulder. An odd feeling shot through my body. "That's heavy, I didn't know."

She smiled through her tears. "I guess you couldn't have. Ben probably has no clue either."

"I can only imagine how hard it is, Demi, but he deserves the truth. You really hurt him by leaving like that." I spoke softly, but she heard me. "It still bothers him."

She sat back up again, taking a deep breath. "I know."

Suddenly we both heard a rustling sound, and panting. We exchanged glances and jumped up, ready to defend ourselves from whatever was causing that sound. Demi held her finger up in the air. "Wait…" She cautiously whispered. I threw her a surprised look, but then I heard it too. This couldn't have come from a walker. It sounded like someone was sobbing, and as far as I knew, walkers couldn't sob.

Demi motioned me to follow her, which I did. The sobbing got louder as we approached the bushes near the creek. The blonde carefully pushed aside some branches, only to find a little girl hidden underneath it, crying her eyes out.

"Hey, are you okay?" Demi asked the little girl, but she only started crying ever louder. I watched them from a small distance, scanning the environment on eventual threats, but there was nothing in sight. Demi crouched down and came face to face with the girl.

"Are you hurt?"

Finally the girl shook her head, and the sobbing got quieter. Demi offered the child her hand, and after some suspicious looks in my way, she accepted. Demi pulled her up.

It was a small girl, probably not any older than twelve, and she wore a blue shirt with a rainbow displayed on it. She was a little dirty and there were little sticks of wood sticking out of her hair, but other than that she didn't look wounded or hurt.

"Were you fleeing from them?" I asked her, and she started sobbing again. I took that as a yes. "Okay… Where are your parents? Did you lose them?" Demi sent me an agitated glance. Of course she lost them. Why else would she be here all by herself?

"I was on the highway with my mum. My dad… He didn't make it," she responded, taking large breaths. "We were with a group. Mr. Grimes told me to wait for him, but I, I just, I couldn't. They were after me. I lost my doll." Tears filled her eyes again, and my eyes crossed with Demi's.

"We can take her back to our camp," I opted. Demi sent me a surprised look. "Shouldn't we go find her group?"

I was silent for a few moments. Of course, go and find her group was the ideal thing to do, were it not for the fact I still could not properly walk, and we were already far away from our own group. Besides, we had no idea if her group was still located on the highway. They must have relocated, as the highway was far from safe, and it was already getting dark. And the little girl had just mentioned she was chased here by walkers…

"We'll take her to our camp. I can't hike all the way back to the highway and there's no way I'll let you go on your own, Demi. We'll discuss what to do once we get back." Demi nodded, and glanced at the girl.

"Did you hear that, sweetheart? We're not that far from our own camp. We'll take you there, clean you up, and will take you back to your mom as soon as possible, okay?"

The girl let out a few more sobs, but then she slowly nodded, still clenching to Demi's hand.

"It's going to be okay, we'll find them. We'll get you back safely. What's your name, sweetie?"

The girl sniffled, and mumbled something I couldn't quite overhear. Demi bowed down to the girl. "Excuse me, what did you say?" Her voice seemed even softer now, but this time I heard her.

"Sophia. It's Sophia."

* * *

 **I thought this was a difficult chapter to write, this is a very personal subject to me.**

 **Other than that; Sophia!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews guys! And thanks for everyone who is still reading this. It will become more TWD storyline soon. Will touch upon a certain era... And yes, Sophia!**

And well, next the inevitable happens. It had to happen some day, right? The question is, though, for how long?

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

It had already been dark when we had arrived back at the camp and everyone had been quite worried about us, but those worries got traded in for curiosity when everyone had spotted Sophia, hiding behind me.

Of course we had all decided on waiting until the next day to trace Sophia's group, as none of us believed it to be a good idea to search for them at night. Maybe we would be lucky, and we would find them back on the highway. I felt like we at least owed it to the girl to find her mom and group back, I still remembered how lost I had felt when I had lost mine.

The little girl seemed to have calmed down a little, but was still a bit wary of us. The only one she seemed to feel somewhat comfortable around was me. We decided she would stay in our trailer for the night. Ben offered to sleep on the couch, so she could have his bed. It was a restless night, where Sophia seemed to suffer from terrible nightmares throughout the night, waking up screaming and in tears until I reassured her she was safe here with us.

The next day we decided some of us had to go try and find Sophia's group, while the rest of us kept the camp safe and guarded Sophia. Since Victor was still out of the running and sending two girls into the woods didn't seem like the best idea, Ben and I were chosen to go. I wanted to stay with Sophia, but I knew Olivia wasn't ready to fight off the undead, and Hannah and Daniel were too young for the task, so I didn't have much of a choice.

"We'll be back soon, sweetie," I tried to comfort the little girl, who was clinging to me. "I will do my best to find your group back, and so will Ben." She eyed Ben and me, and Ben smiled back at her.

"Why don't you go fishing with Daniel? I'm sure you'll make a great team together," he nodded approvingly. Olivia took the girl's hand. "Do you guys have everything you need to make it to the highway? Do you know the way to it?"

Ben nodded again. "I do. And we have my gun, some knives, water, and some food for on the road. We'll be fine, we both know how to handle these things. I won't let anything happen to Demi. Or me," he added when he saw me rolling my eyes.

Olivia hugged me tight. "Please be safe, Dem. Watch out for things that want to harm you. Alive or dead. I'll take care of the children." I sent her a thankful glance and turned to Ben.

"Are you ready?" He smiled.

"Are we ever?"

We had been walking for an hour now, and there still wasn't a sign of the highway. The forest had become less dense, though, so I was guessing that we were at least nearing something. In the beginning Ben and I had joked around a bit, but none of us had spoken in the last fifteen minutes. I wasn't sure what to say to him, and he seemed to be in deep thought.

I started observing the sandy-blond man. He looked tired and worn-out, but at least he seemed to be in good health. I remembered how unhealthy he had looked when he still used. Yes, Ben had definitely brightened up. He almost seemed like his old self again, the man he had been when he was still sober. He seemed happier, too. Lighter. I guessed the withdrawal days were over.

I decided it was time to break the silence.

"Do you think we're almost there?" I asked, my voice shakier than intended.

He turned around to face me. "I'm pretty sure we are. It can't be far now. That also means we have to be more careful. The place might be swamped with walkers. Or biters. Whatever you wanna call them."

I swallowed. "I was just starting to enjoy our quiet life at the camp, without having to wash blood from my clothes all the time." My remark made him chuckle. "I missed your humor."

My cheeks flushed a little. "Oh, did you?" I teasingly said. He looked me in the eye now, and slowly nodded.

"Well, it wasn't the only thing I missed about you. But it was the most essential part. Humor gets you through an apocalypse, you know." I started laughing.

"I'm glad to see you're doing better now. You know, I was really afraid, coming to your house with Victor and the others, the whole day this all started. I thought you were going to kick me out." I hesitated to look at him. We had been avoiding this topic ever since we were reunited, but Victor was right. We had to discuss this some day.

Today might as well be that day.

"I wanted to," the man admitted, staring at the tips of his shoes. "You really hurt me, you know."

"About that…" I said, grimacing, but then something else got Ben's attention. It was a walker, roaming around in the forest, looking for something to eat.

"I told you," he said while drawing a knife, "it's not far. I'll handle this one, you cover me in case things go south." I sighed. There went my chance to make things right.

He carefully approached the walker that was staggering through the bushes, and I quietly followed him, also drawing my knife, and watching over to see if there were more of them coming. Ben grabbed the walker's head from behind and yanked his knife through its skull. Gurgling the man fell to the ground, causing blood splatters on Ben's shirt. "Ah, man, that was my favorite shirt," he remarked, while observing the damage. "Let's hope we can find another, one the highway."

We walked a little further and I saw the contours of the highway looming. Ben was right, we were finally back at the highway. He went first, and I carefully followed him, still on guard.

Not much had changed since the last time I had been there. There were still dozens of cars, abandoned by their owners, and dead bodies were scattered on the ground. Obviously there had been people here, these walkers didn't drop dead themselves. Ben crouched down at one of the bodies, observing it.

"You think Sophia's group did this?"

He inspected the body a little closer, and then he rose to his feet. "I don't know. Possibly. Whoever did this, did so a while ago. This body has been lying here for days, two at the least, taking the heat into account. It's already heavily decomposing."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You can tell how long it has been dead?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "You might think I'm no good, but I actually know things. I have done a lot of research, Demi. I really wanted to make something out of my life, before all this." I looked down.

"I never said you didn't."

"But you thought it. That's why you left that day, isn't it?"

I let out a deep sigh. "That's not true. That's not why I left."

He crossed his arms, his face spoke volumes. "Then why did you?" My eyes were downcast. In my mind we've had this conversation a thousand times, but in real life I was much more of a coward.

"It's just… There are some things I haven't told you about me."

He grabbed my hands, and now it was my time to look surprised. When I looked up I noticed his eyes were filled with intensity. "Then tell me now."

As abruptly as he had grabbed my hands he released them, only to reach for his knife and plunge it into the skull of an approaching walker. I also took a hold of my knife again. Why were there so many of them on the highway?

Both on guard we followed up the highway, taking out the occasional walker here and there and scanning the area on anything that was still alive, but there was nothing. In the meantime I was busy thinking about our conversation. How could I ever tell him all of the things I kept hidden from him?

"I honestly don't think we're gonna find them here," he said, after we had walked the highway for what seemed like hours. "They either regrouped or left, or we've been searching the wrong way of the highway."

"Do you want to search the other side of the highway?" I asked him, and he looked up to the sky, little drops of sweat glittering on his forehead. His shirt was wet from sweating. The sun was slowly burning us on the hot asphalt road.

"I think it's time to go back now. We still have to walk all the way back to where we started, and then find our way back to the camp. We can search the other side tomorrow, but I actually doubt we'll find them here." He wiped away the sweat.

"But they just lost a child," I tried. "Wouldn't it be the most logical for them to stay on the highway, hoping for her to return?" Ben shrugged. "If I had lost a child, I'd go and search for her. But we have no idea how big her group actually is."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Let's just head back," I replied, disappointed. I had promised the girl we'd find her group, but so far we had no luck at all.

Silently we exited the highway followed our way back into the woods. The silence between us was killing me. With a sigh I decided it was now or never. My desire to clear the air between us was bigger than my fear. The guy deserved to know the truth.

"It affected me a lot more than you know," I whispered. His eyes widened and he stopped walking. "What…?"

"The substances," I spoke louder this time, trying to keep my voice steady. "That's why I left." He just gaped at me.

"But… Why? Why do you have such issues against it? It's really not such a big deal, you know," he finally shrugged it off.

I took a large breath, and slowly exhaled. "Before all this, before I met you, I was in a relationship with an addict. And things got ugly, real ugly. I had to fear for my life. It was horrible. I promised myself I would never engage with someone who experienced those issues ever again." He sent me a sympathetic glance and started moving again. I did so too.

"I'm really sorry for what happened to you, Demi. But it's not like _I'm_ addicted or something. I'm fine. It just made my life a whole lot easier." He protested against my words, and I shook my head.

"That's the problem. It's not supposed to make your life easier, and make you depend on it whenever you feel bad. That's not right. You have issues, Ben. Issues that need solving. And drugs don't solve your problems. Neither does alcohol."

He seemed struck by my words, not able to say anything. All he did was stare at me in disbelief. "I don't have issues," he muttered. "The only issues I have are these fucking undead creatures trying to eat me." He snorted. "I can't believe this. You honestly think that I'm anything like him?"

"No!" I protested. "I don't. Not at all. It's just… It was a lot for me. Leaving him, moving here, falling in love with you. Finding out you 'solved' your issues the same way he did. I couldn't deal with it. I know it was wrong of me to start that fight. But it's not like I haven't tried to make things right. You never let me. It broke my heart," I admitted, tears welling up in my eyes. "I came back."

He abruptly stopped moving, and I almost bumped into him. "You were too late, Demi. This whole time we spent together you seemed so distant, so out of reach, I never understood why. You never really let me in. And then that fight we had… You were so harsh, you broke _my_ heart first. Wasn't I good enough for you? Not educated enough?" I could discover so many contradicting emotions in his eyes. If I hadn't known any better, it looked like he was about to cry.

"Of course you were!" I cried out. "You have always been good enough." He sighed, and grabbed my hand. "Then why didn't you give me a fair chance to show you I'm nothing like him? You can't pin me down on another man's mistakes."

I looked down, but Ben lifted up my chin with his index finger. His sapphire-blue eyes seemed fiery.

"Seriously, Demi. I'm not sure if you've even noticed, but we're in the middle of the frickin' apocalypse now. I haven't used in weeks. Okay, maybe I did drink a lot, before all this, but those times are over. I swear to you, things are different now. I haven't used in weeks and I'm still fine, doesn't that say enough?" He cupped my face with his hands and stared into my eyes, almost imploringly. A small fraction of doubt seemed to be mirrored in his eyes, but it was gone when I blinked.

"Please believe me, Demi." He started stroking my cheek with his thumb. "I'd never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right? Please let me show you I'm different than him." I slowly nodded, mesmerized by his incredible eyes.

Before I really thought it through, I leaned in and pressed my lips on his, something he welcomed by putting his arms around me and kissing me back. When he finally released me I felt a little dizzy, barely able to stand on my feet.

"God, I missed you, Demi," he smiled, and slid his arm around my waist. "I really, really missed you. And this."

I returned his smile, and planted another kiss on his lips. "So did I."

* * *

 **So... Happy about their reconciliation? Angry? Surprised? Annoyed? Lemme know.**


	19. Chapter 19

**I think this is one of my favorite chapters I have written so far! It's fluffy, in a zombie apocalypse. Who thought that'd be possible?**

 **Well, not for long anyway. Prepare for things to hit rock bottom, next chapter.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

I couldn't believe it. Finally, after all this time, Demi and I were back together.

We had been separated for almost a year. The only times I didn't feel bad about the whole situation were the times I wasn't sober. It was a temporary solution to a permanent problem. And of course, there had been other girls, plenty of them, but they were never _her_. It had made me so angry, and it had made me lose it even more. Why couldn't I get over her?

And then, when I saw her again that night at my house, I had known why.

It was because I had never stopped loving her. I compared every girl I met to her. I still loved the girl who put my heart down a drain and stomped on it when she left, after that fight we had. And then she came back, wanting to talk, and I was trampled with emotions. I was angry, and I was hurt, and destined to make her feel my resentment on how she had handled things.

She had stopped contacting me after a while, giving up, and I had been relieved and agitated at the same time.

But now she and I were back, and our problems were solved. Finally I knew why things had worked out the way they did, and finally the girl I had loved for so long was back where she belonged, right here with me.

It seemed like the apocalypse had some advantages after all.

"Gosh, you guys stayed away for hours. You had me worried sick!" Olivia came up to us as soon as she noticed us setting foot into the camp again. She narrowed her eyes, eyeing the both of us. "Something's different here." Then her face brightened.

"You guys made up again, haven't you?" I quickly glanced at Demi, who was blushing. "Finally! I was already wondering when that'd happen," Olivia cheered.

"Yeah, me too," I casually replied, and she laughed. "Good for you guys. But wait… Does this mean you didn't find Sophia's group?" I shook my head.

"We searched the highway, but they were nowhere to be found. They were there alright, there were dead walkers. But now they're gone, and I have no idea where they could have went." Olivia hung her head. "She's going to be so disappointed."

"I'll tell her," Demi replied, determined. "And tomorrow we will search the other part of the highway. Perhaps part of the forest, too. They can't be far, right?" She bit her lip.

"It depends," I spoke up. "If they had access to a car, they might be miles away now." Demi looked at me in astonishment.

"You think they'd just leave their kid behind like that?"

Suddenly I saw Victor coming up to us, followed by Hannah. He was already walking a lot better now, and even practiced running again. Being the athlete that he was had certainly paid off. Soon his leg would be fully healed, and we would be able to hit the road again. But deep in my heart I didn't want to travel anymore, I just wanted to stay here, away from the danger.

"Hey, man," he greeted me, patting me on the shoulder, and gave Demi a nod. She smiled back at him. "You didn't find them?" I shook my head, telling them what I had told Olivia moments before. My best friend looked down in disappointment.

"I had really hoped you'd found them. Perhaps we could have joined their group. The bigger, the better, right?" I shrugged. I was fine with the group the way it was now.

"Where's Sophia?" Demi asked. "I will break the news to her that we weren't able to find her group. Maybe if she provides us with more details, we can track them down tomorrow." Olivia pointed at her trailer.

"She's inside, playing board games with Daniel. They really get along." Demi sent us a quick smile and set course to the trailers. Olivia and I exchanged looks.

"That poor girl… I can't imagine what it must be like for her, losing her mommy like that, all alone in the woods… Horrid," she sighed, and Hannah nodded. "I'd never leave Daniel behind." The thought of it made her shiver.

"We could always take her in," I opted, and the girls faced me, a bit surprised. "Daniel and she get along, right? It would be good for Daniel to have someone of his age around." Who knew what kind of blessing this could actually become.

Olivia scratched her head. "We'll see."

That night I decided to go on a hike with Victor, seeing if we could hunt some deer. My dad had taught me how to hunt when I was younger, and I knew Victor could hunt as well. After a few successful catches we decided to take a break near a creek, washing ourselves and drinking a little water.

"Demi and I have reconciled," I said, staring into the creek after I finished washing my face.

"Really? That's great, Ben," Victor gave me an approving smile and took another gulp of water. "I'm happy for you."

I smiled. "Thanks. I am too."

We were both silent for a while. Just as I was about to make a remark about the storm that was approaching, Victor opened his mouth again.

"I really am, though. What happened that night, at the cabin… I felt bad about it." He looked directly into my eyes, making me feel a bit uneasy. "I would never steal away your girl from you. Hopefully you know that." I sent him an apologetic glance.

"I do, and I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to accuse you of these things. I should have known better. You're my best friend, after all." He smiled.

"Remember that one night out in town, years ago? That girl you liked, that was after me?" Victor started off, and I laughed. That memory was still fresh in my mind. "I really had to convince her of it, but in the end she went home with you, right?"

"Convince her, yeah right. She just used you to get to me, my friend," I playfully stomped him on his shoulder.

"You wish."

We both laughed, and then Victor rose to his feet, extended his hand to me. "Come on man, let's go back. That weather looks dreadful. We need to find shelter from it before it's too late." I took his hand and he pulled me up. The first drops of rain already started to fall.

"Let's see who can get there the fastest," he challenged me, and before I knew it he had a head start.

"Wait for me!"

Completely soaked we arrived back at the trailers. Demi and the others were already inside, taking shelter from the rain. When she saw us she opened the door and quickly pulled me in.

"Oh shit, you're all wet," she grimaced, prompting me to slid my arm around her waist and pull her closer.

"Now you are too."

She squealed and tried to escape my grasp, chuckling, but I held her tight. "You jerk!" She called out, but I could see she didn't mean it. I planted a kiss on her forehead. From the corner of my eye I could see Daniel cheer, and even Sophia cracked a small smile. The boy gave me a thumbs-up and I returned the gesture, behind Demi's back, while I winked at him.

I let go of her and she stared down on the stains I had caused on her navy tank top. Above us we heard the thunder roaming, echoing through the mountains. Victor walked up to the window and gazed outside. "It's just a small thunderstorm, short but powerful. It will be over before we know it."

Sophia's lip quivered. "What is it?" Demi went up to the little girl, and sat next to her on the bed.

"I… I'm afraid, of thunder," tears welled up in her eyes. Demi grabbed her hand. "It's okay sweetie, we're safe here. Nothing will happen to you." Tears started to fall from her eyes.

"I miss my mommy."

"I know you do, sweetheart, and we'll find her, I promise," Demi tried to comfort her. I sat down on her other side.

"Hey, Sophia? How about you, Daniel and I play another game? That way you'll be distracted from the thunder." The girl looked up to me, still sobbing. "I heard Daniel and you practiced all day, so you're probably gonna kick my butt…" I trailed off. Daniel jumped up, a bright smile on his face.

"Probably? How about totally? You don't stand a chance against us." His eyes shimmered, and he offered Sophia a hand, which she hesitantly took. "Come on, Sophia, let's teach him a lesson."

The smile Demi sent me made my knees weak. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "Thank you, Ben." I pressed a quick kiss on her lips and rose to my feet.

"You ready, kids?"

I'm going to patrol one more time before bed!" I exclaimed through the trailer. Demi, who was brushing her teeth, came up to me. She muffled something I could hardly understand.

"What?"

She took the tooth brush out of her mouth. "I said: Be careful." I kissed her cheek. She looked adorable with that tooth paste in the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, mom."

"Do you want someone to come with you? Just in case? I can wake up Vic, if you want." She looked worried, but I brushed it off. "No, I'll be fine. I have my gun for protection, and a crowbar. It's just a small round around camp, to check if we're protected the right way. I'll be back before you know it. Just go to bed," I tried to comfort her, and then she gave me a small smile.

"Okay, just hurry up, okay?" I quickly nodded and then took off, softly closing the trailer door behind me. I had brought my flashlight and a crowbar with me, but not for the reasons Demi believed. Carefully I sneaked out of the camp, to the place I had been many times before, nearby the fish pond. When I arrived at the right spot I kneeled down, and started digging with my both hands. Soon the bottle appeared, like a magic entity. I scanned the environment one more time and then took the bottle, uncorking it.

This was the very last one, after this one I would be out of liquor. After this one I would really, honestly quit. I knew I had to. Besides, Demi would notice soon enough if I kept this up. We couldn't have that.

I drank so fast the liquor burned my throat. It almost immediately offered me solace. A little dizzy I sat down, enjoying this lightness I experienced in my head. I loved how it made everything a little better.

After a few more gulps I dug the bottle back in, with a precision that almost scared me. I knew what I was doing wasn't exactly _right_ , but this was my way of getting sober, doing it step by step. I never believed in quitting cold turkey anyway. That had only made me irritable. No, this was exactly how I liked it. I tried to ignore the unsettling feeling in my stomach as I walked back to camp.

Quietly I opened the door, and locked it after me. My lips curled into a smile when I saw Demi lying in my bed. After thoroughly brushing my teeth I crawled next to her, my touch waking her up.

"Gosh, that took you forever," she sleepily remarked, yawning. "Everything okay?"

I gently caressed her cheek. "Yeah, I just wanted to make sure we were safe, that's all." She smiled. "Great. Now, shall we sleep?" I drew her a little closer.

"I might have a better idea."

Later that night I fell asleep a happy man. The woman I loved was sleeping right next to me, a light smile on her face. We were all safe, in this camp. We had food, water, were able to wash our clothes and enjoy each other's company. My best friend was safe and sound, sleeping in the other room. Considering the circumstances I had a lot to be happy about.

Yes, the apocalypse indeed had some advantages.

* * *

 **Advantages, hm.**

 **Expect next chapter somewhere on Sunday.**


	20. Chapter 20

**So... What have you guys been up to? I'm busy finding myself a job. It's quite difficult, trying to find a job in another country, but I hope it works out. Anyway, you might hate me after this chapter. Or Ben. Or both. But come on guys, it's a zombie apocalypse. Not everyone is going to get out of there alive.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

The next morning Hannah and I were washing some of our clothes, including the tank top Ben had soiled yesterday. The mud stains were still visible, making me smile and sigh at the same time.

"You really love him, don't you?" The red-haired girl remarked. I turned to her, taking her appearance in. She was some years younger than me, I guessed she couldn't be much older than 18. Her freckles and big brown eyes gave her an angelic emission. She was a bright girl, from what I could tell. I smiled at her.

"I always have. Ever since I met him."

She politely nodded. "He was so different when I met him. Back at our cabin he was all mean and bitchy. He had a fight with his friend over you."

"About me?" I raised her eyebrow at her, and she nodded again.

"Yeah, he kinda accused his friend of liking you. But he probably didn't mean it. Olivia said he had a hard time quitting the drinks." She stared down at the clothes in her hands again. "You think he's doing better now?"

I was quiet for a moment. Ben, getting into a fight with Victor, over me? Victor didn't like me that way. He was attractive, sure, but also Ben's best friend… The mere thought of it was ridiculous. I mentally noted it in my head, so I could ask Ben what this was about as soon as he and Victor came back from searching the highway for Sophia's group.

"It seems to be that way," I finally said, staring into the distance. "In this world, there are no substances. I guess that's kind of a benefit."

Hannah started to wrench the soaked clothes. Water splattered to the ground. "Well, you make a cute couple. Reminds me of my mum and dad. They always seemed so smitten with each other, and I can remember wishing I would one day find the same." Her eyes were somber as she looked down to the ground.

"Hey guys, do you need any help? Sophia and Daniel are in the trailer, playing board games, so I thought I'd come help you out." Olivia sat down next to me, giving me a bright smile. "I'm so happy for you, Dem." It made me blush.

"I was just saying how adorable they are together," Hannah smiled, and Olivia quickly nodded. "You have no idea how many times I had to hear about this guy. Demi was completely smitten with him. I always knew they would get back together," she boasted, and I rolled my eyes.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

Hannah shook her head at us, laughing, but then she looked up to behind her. "Hey, the guys are back."

Olivia and I followed her gaze, spotting Victor and Ben, a little bloody and dirty but laughing nonetheless. I let out a relieved sigh, at least they both returned safely. And I was happy to see they were on good terms, laughing and joking. They walked up to us, and Ben kissed my cheek. Victor just nodded at me.

"Hey babe." I smiled at him.

"Still no signs of Sophia's group?" Victor shook his head in denial. "I think they are no longer around. There was a trail, but it was a dead end." I stared down at my feet.

"So… You think we're not gonna find her group back? Her mother?" I looked up at him again, but he just shook his head again. "We'll discuss what to do in the morning. Then sun is already setting and I'm hungry as hell. Luckily Ben and I are mad hunters, so we got some squirrel to roast tonight!" He laughed, exposing his teeth, and I swallowed. Squirrel _again_ …

We were sitting by the camp fire, all stuffed from dinner. Sophia sat next to me, accompanied by Daniel, and Ben sat to my other side. Olivia was joking with Victor and Hannah was singing songs and playing the guitar. It was all quite lively.

I looked around, smiling, feeling blessed with this new chance. I felt safe here, at this camp site, and I hoped we could stay here for a prolonged time. Maybe we should discuss that possibility in the morning, I thought to myself. It was definitely worth discussing. Besides, I had no idea where else to go.

Ben's touch woke up my thoughts. Distraught I looked up to him.

"What?"

"I said I will head to the creek. I'll be right back." I raised my eyebrow at him. "All by yourself? Why?" He looked away before he answered me.

"I, eh, think I forgot my knife there the other day. I'd like to get it back before someone else finds it." I threw him a wry glance.

"I can come with you. I don't like you going there all by yourself, at night."

"No, I'll be fine," he tried to reassure me, caressing my cheek with his thumb. "I'd just really like it back. It means a lot to me." I tried to smile at him, even though I experienced this weird feeling in my stomach.

"Alright then. But hurry, okay?" He nodded to me and rose to his feet. I watched him walk away and wondered why such a knife was of such importance to him. Maybe it used to belong to Ben's father and he had given it to his son. Otherwise I could not quite figure out why the knife meant so much to him. We had plenty of knives, and I did not expect some stranger to find a knife and deciding to attack us with it. But of course, we had been attacked before.

"Where did Ben go?" Daniel affirmed his gaze on me. I knew Ben pretty much was the young boy's hero, he followed him around everywhere. Sophia eyed me as well.

"He went to the creek, to get his knife or something. He says he lost it there," I shrugged, and Daniel's eyes went big. With a grin he got a knife from his pocket. It was a small Swiss pocket knife, one they used in the army. Ben's knife.

"Where did you get that?" I asked the boy, my eyes widened.

"Ben lend it to me a couple of days ago. I wanted to be able to protect myself and Soph, in case something would happen, so he gave it to me. Don't tell my sis, okay?" He looked a little caught up.

"So Ben is going to the creek right now to get the knife he lend you?" Things got weirder and weirder.

Now the boy shrugged. "He must have forgotten. Shall I go get him?" The boy jumped up, and offered his hand to Sophia, who didn't look too certain.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Dan." I apologized. "It's already dark out, and what if you encounter a walker?" The boy looked disappointed, hanging his shoulders.

"But we haven't seen a walker in ages…" The boy muttered.

"What's the matter?" Olivia towered over us, Victor behind her.

"Ben went to get his Swiss knife back from the creek, but Daniel has it here," I replied a bit uncertain, biting my lip.

"He went there by himself?" Victor eyed me, tilting his head a little.

"He said he'd be right back. But now that I think about it, shouldn't he be back by now? The creek isn't that far." I started to get a little worried. Where the hell was he? Why did I let him go alone in the first place?

Victor had an incredulous look on his face. "I'll go find him. Just stay here," he said as he walked away.

"Wait for me!" Olivia shouted at him, causing him to turn around surprised. "I can't let you go all by yourself," she smiled at him. He blinked a few times, but then he continued walking, and the blonde hastily followed.

They left before I could even think of something to say and I watched them disappear into the woods. A bad feeling came over me. This whole situation just felt off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Why did Ben go all by himself, and why had he not yet returned? I stared into the fire, not knowing what to do, while Hannah put her guitar away and went back to the trailer.

Suddenly I heard an icy scream that made me pale and set my teeth on edge. That couldn't be good.

Without thinking I jumped up and ran towards the place the screaming came from. Branches slammed and scratched my face and arms but I didn't care, I had to get to the source as soon as possible.

What I saw when I arrived made my heart stop and made me double over.

Olivia.

I knew right away that this would be the end.

She was bitten on the shoulder, and the amount of blood gave away she wouldn't last that much longer. Victor had taken off his shirt to try and stop the bleeding, but I knew it was no use. Tears streamed down my face as I fell to the ground, close to the creature who had done this to her. The knife was still attached to its skull. Too late, obviously.

My gaze shifted from Olivia to Ben. The man just stood there, dazed. At his feet lay a bottle of liquor. I blinked a few times, before the rage took over and blinded me.

" _You._ " My eyes must have spit fire, because he looked at me in intense horror. He was clearly helpless, not knowing what to do. It made no difference to me.

"Demi, I eh, I, it's not… It's not what you think," he stuttered, but I ignored him and crawled towards Olivia. Her eyes were full of tears, and I could tell she was struggling to stay conscious. Victor sent me a helpless look.

"It's okay, Olivia. You'll be okay," I lied to her. We both knew the truth. I could see it in her eyes.

Victor lifted her up and held her in his arms while we speeded back to the camp, only to be met by more horror.

There were two dead corpses on the ground, and Daniel still stood there, covered in blood, Ben's knife drawn. As soon as he saw us, he held his breath.

"Are you bit?" I was almost afraid to ask him.

The boy shook his head, to my relief. "Sophia got bit. She fled," he said under his breath, and my heart skipped a beat. "And then I ended those walkers... I just ended them. Like that." The boy stared at his bloody hands, while Victor and I exchanged a worried glance.

"Where's your sister?" Daniel pointed to the trailer. "She hid herself in there. She was on the toilet when it happened."

Victor carried Olivia, who was heavily shaking now, into the trailer and put her on one of the beds.

The dark-haired man wiped his forehead. "Please take care of her. I need to find Sophia. I need to get to her." And with that he left the trailer, leaving us behind.

"What happened to her?" Hannah paled, her voice trembling. Daniel threw himself in his sister's arms and she held him close while keeping her eyes on Olivia.

"She got bit." The seriousness in my voice made her dense. "Please, Liv, stay with us. I can't face this world without you. I just got you back." My eyes filled with tears again. Ben had backed away from the situation, staring at us in horror, not knowing what to do or what to say. Blood was smeared all over my face, and on my clothes.

Olivia tried to open her eyes. "Demi, I, I..." Her voice fainted, and her eyes closed again. This time they stayed closed. She stopped shaking too.

"Liv? Please Liv, don't leave me. Please. Olivia." I cupped her face with my hand, but it was as if all life had faded away from her body. It became awfully quiet all of a sudden, and the silence in the room became deafening.

She was gone.


	21. Chapter 21

**Heya new follower, welcome to my story! I hope you enjoy it, and will continue to enjoy it in the future. I hope you all do. I don't mind whether two persons or 100 persons are reading this, as long as the ones who are are enjoying themselves. I love sharing my work with y'all.**

 **Yeah, I know, Olivia... Don't hate me right now. What's an apocalypse without people dying, right? I hate killing people off, but it's kinda part of the deal...**

* * *

 _Victor's POV_ :

I kept running. My leg started to hurt, but I couldn't care less. I had to find her and bring her back, even though deep down inside I knew it was already too late. The girl would unmistakably die.

I stopped for a few minutes to catch my breath, taking large breaths that almost made me choke on air. How could a little girl who was injured move so fast? After a while I had to admit to myself I wasn't going to find her. I had to go back, back to the awful reality.

Tears sprung into my eyes when I thought about what had happened. Olivia and I had found Ben, sitting against a tree, a bottle of liquor in his hands. I could only gaze at him, while Olivia had started shouting at him.

"Are you for real, Ben? Jeopardizing your life, for this?" He could only stare back at us, surprised we had come after him. He obviously hadn't expected that.

"Please don't tell Demi," he begged us, but I had shaken my head. I was livid.

"How dare you?!"

After that everything had happened so fast. I had punched my best friend in the face, and I was so angry and so focused on him, I had not seen the walker creeping up to Liv, grabbing her and taking a large chunk out of her shoulder. Her scream had brought me back to reality, just too late.

There was no way she'd survive that, she had lost too much blood.

And now she was going to die, and turn into one of them. That had to be prevented. I knew how, it just made my stomach turn. I couldn't stab a dead girl in the head, could I?

I guess I didn't have much of a choice.

And then that scene at the camp. Somehow the undead must have followed us from the highway, or they must have heard our music. Noticing our camp fire. After spending so long in the shielded woods, we had created a false sense of safety. We hadn't been careful enough.

We had been stupid. Incredibly, incredibly stupid.

If only I hadn't gone after him, and if only I had told Olivia to stay put… Maybe then all of us would still be alive right now. Two of us were dead, and I blamed myself.

In tears I entered the trailer, finding Demi crying over Olivia's lifeless body. As soon as she spotted me she threw herself in my arms, and I wrapped my arms around her. I ignored Ben.

"I am so sorry Demi," I spoke with tears rolling from my cheeks. "This is all my fault." She resolutely shook her head.

"It's not your fault, Vic. She followed you. Besides, you weren't the one going into the woods all by himself in the first place." I heard the stab she made at Ben, but was unable to respond to it. Not now. I drew my knife as I let her go.

"I'm terribly sorry Demi, but I have to do this." She stared at me through her tears. "Do what?"

I swallowed. "Preventing reanimation. I have to shut down her brain, otherwise she'll come back. We can't have that. It happened to Nick." I saw her tear up again, and she stood up and left the trailer. I knew it was no use going after her. This had to be done first.

I cupped Olivia's cheek one more time before I drew my knife into her temple. I would miss her quirky comments and jokes, and even her emotional outbursts. I couldn't not believe this had really happened.

Slowly I averted my gaze from the dead girl's body, to Ben and Hannah. The latter had been in the trailer this whole time, which had saved her life. Daniel had taken out those walkers all by himself, a noteworthy achievement. His sister had wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but he just seemed motionless. I didn't have the heart to acknowledge Ben.

"We are leaving tomorrow, before dawn. Pack your belongings."

We had been travelling for a time now, crossing a few mountain tops, trying to survive high up in the mountains. But it was difficult. The nights were rather cold, too cold to stay outside. Of course we had taken a few sleeping bags from the camp, but it wasn't nearly enough without a tent or something to keep us safe.

I guess we were all occupied with our own thoughts. I couldn't get the vision of Olivia getting bit out of my mind. Every time I closed my eyes I saw it happening, over and over again. It reminded me of Peter, those months before. And I knew this wouldn't be the last time I would witness someone die. We would all perish against these things, eventually.

Everyone I cared about would die.

Demi and I had sort of formed a front. She and I made the decisions now, of where to go and what to do. Hannah and Daniel were too young to make these decisions, and Ben just seemed dazed. His eyes were glassy and his gaze seemed to be endless.

Probably because he was detoxing for real this time, I scornfully thought to myself.

Ben and Demi had not spoken a word. He had tried, but she refused to talk to him. I could not blame her, he had lied to her. He had lied to all of us.

Yet somehow, Daniel still seemed to regard Ben as his hero. The child was pretty much the only one who still engaged in conversations with him. He either didn't fully seem to grasp the reality of what had happened here, or he had simply just forgiven him already.

The first days we had tried to find Sophia back, but it was no use. She was bit, and she had probably died already. We didn't encounter her undead form either, and I could only hope someone had put her out of her misery. That poor, poor girl. To be saved, only to die…

That evening we settled down high in the mountains again. The landscape looked idyllic with the fog hanging over, but all it did was making me shiver. I quickly made a camp fire and we all gathered around it, warming ourselves to the fire.

"Excuse me, Victor, but what exactly is the plan, right now?" The red-haired girl barely looked at me, hugging her knees. Her brother poked in the fire with a branch.

I sighed and bit my lip. "I'm not sure yet." That much was true. I didn't know where we were heading, all I knew is that I couldn't stay at that camp for one day longer. Anywhere was better than there. And since my leg had fully healed, we could literally go anywhere again.

Demi answered. "Maybe we should opt for the nearest town. Find shelter in a house somewhere, or anything. We can't stay in the mountains forever. I can't keep this up without a decent meal. Berries are not sufficient." I started observing her. She looked tired, with dark bags under her eyes, and she had certainly lost weight. We all had, we were all starving. I heard my stomach rumble by the thought of eating.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. And there must be supply stores around that are not raided or destroyed yet."

"But Ben and I could go fish again," Daniel suggested, his eyes lighting up. "I know how to catch lots of fish, right, Ben?" The blond man showed a weak smile.

"I think Victor and Demi are right, little guy. We need to go down again." The boy looked disappointed, and for a second I felt bad for them, but I knew it was for the best.

"Alright guys, I will keep watch tonight. Go get some rest, we'll need it tomorrow." I nodded to my group. Demi smiled at me, rose to her feet and set course to the little place we had set up, followed by Hannah, who torched Daniel with her. Ben stayed behind.

"Vic? Do you need me to stay watch with you, switch shifts tonight?" He asked, his eyes hopeful.

"No, I'll be fine. Just go." I spoke bluntly, avoiding his gaze, and I could tell it hurt him. He moved a little closer to me.

"Please, Vic, talk to me. This is all one big misunderstanding," he tried, but I brushed him off.

"Yes, because bottles of liquor spontaneously appear on the ground, and you just happened to stumble over one of them." My best friend eyed me desperately.

"It was just to make the transition easier, I swear. I was gonna stop." His voice sounded uneven.

I shook my head. "You have issues, Ben. You lied to me. I thought I was your best friend." The man looked defeated. I tried to ignore the knot in my stomach.

"Look, I know things have been tough for you," I continued. "But this has got to stop, man. You jeopardized your life for your stupid addictions. Our lives, too. I just don't know if I can ever trust you again." The bitterness in my voice made even me shiver. "And you've betrayed Demi. After everything she's been through... How could you? She finally trusted you."

He rose to his feet. "I know. I fucked up. And I am so sorry. I know I can never make this right. To you, or to Demi, to anyone. I'm just a waste." With those words he took off, leaving me a little puzzled. On the one hand I felt really bad for him, he clearly had unresolved issues and instead of talking to us about it, he had turned to drinking. But on the other hand it stung that he had lied to me, again. I knew it was wrong, but I blamed him for what had happened.

I guessed it was true what they said. You can't trust an addict.

The next morning I woke up Demi and the others, only to find Ben and his sleeping bag missing.

"Hey guys, does any of you know where Ben went?" I asked, receiving a weird glance from Hannah.

"Wasn't he with you?" I raised my eyebrow. "With me?" The red-head quickly nodded.

"Yesterday evening, after we had left the camp fire to go to sleep, he came to get his stuff. Said he was going to accompany you to keep watch or something. I thought it was great you guys were on speaking terms again. The guy honestly seemed depressed." I stared at her with an open mouth.

"I was alone tonight. He wasn't there." Now everyone was gawking at me.

"Then… Where did he go?" Demi's voice sounded a little off.

I closed my eyes, trying to vividly remember last night's conversation. Then it dawned on me.

"He left," I said, puzzled. "He left us."

Hannah's face paled and Daniel's eyes went big, while Demi just stared at me in disbelief.

"Where the fuck would he go?" I just shrugged and ran a hand through my hair. "I have no idea."

The blonde snorted. "Well, we're better off without him anyway. Liars only get people killed. Let's move, we haven't got all day. We have to reach a town before darkness sets in, otherwise we'll be no match against the undead." She placed her hands on her hips. "You coming, or what?'

Hannah and Daniel stared at her with an open mouth, but started packing their stuff anyway. I decided on doing the same. Demi seemed so indifferent about Ben's departure, but I knew that deep down inside, her heart was shattered into a million pieces.

* * *

 **So... Another loss to carry. How will things develop now Ben's out of the picture?**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sooooorryyyyy guys! We all know that Ben doesn't use his brain that often. He's quite impulsive. How will his absence reflect on the group?**

 **I've written so much the past few days! Mostly rewritten a couple of chapters, though. I had this idea at first and wrote it down, but then I didn't like it so I changed it up. I actually like it better now. You guys should prepare for a little more TWD storyline... Oh, and you have no idea how hard it is to write this thing with 2 cats attacking your screen as you write... Or maybe you do, I don't know.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

I didn't care.

Honestly, I couldn't care less. It was his decision to abandon us, and it was for the best anyway. If there was anything I hated before this whole thing started, it was people who lied to me. I had complimented him many times on his ability to cope with this whole situation so well, and now it all turned out to be false. He had lied to me.

After everything I had told him, he had chosen to lie to me.

Worst of all, his lies had claimed lives. The life of my very best friend, as well as Sophia's life. Tears welled up in my eyes again, but I angrily wiped them away. I had to stay focused now. Olivia was gone, and crying wasn't going to bring her back. I had to be strong to survive.

And a broken heart did nothing for me.

Against all knowledge Victor had wanted to wait for a little bit, but the man did not return. He was gone. It truly upset Daniel, and Victor seemed shaken as well, but we had to get going. We had to arrive in town when the sun was up. It was the only way to survive.

I could tell autumn was on its way, the weather got more unstable and it more often rained. We had to find good shelter as soon as possible, otherwise this lifestyle was about to claim lives as well.

The first part of the descent went well, and we barely encountered the undead. But as we got closer to the nearest town the number of undead started to rise, and we had a hard time fighting them off. Daniel still owned Ben's Swiss knife and took out quite a few undead, it surprised me a young boy like him was even capable of doing that. Even Hannah had her fair share of killings.

"Are we ready to try our luck in the nearest town?" Victor asked, while he pulled his knife out of a walker's skull. Remains of his brain scattered all over the ground. It was something I'd never get used to.

"Well, we have gotten this far, we have to be, now," I responded, cleaning my own knife. The man nodded.

"Alright, let's go then. And be careful. Don't draw any attention. No sounds, nothing."

We all followed Victor into the town ahead of us, which seemed hauntingly deserted, except for piles of corpses here and there. My hope that the government had taken care of this was long gone.

This town was just a small village town, not that far from the city where I had lost Noah and his father, and had encountered Merle. Around 4000 people used to live here, and I wondered how much was left of that today, dead or alive. I wasn't sure how many people had been evacuated right in time, but I feared the worst.

We walked through the small city center, encountering a supermarket on our left. The window was broken, indicating people had already been there. But they couldn't have taken everything, right?

I motioned the others to go check it out. We all drew our knives and Hannah took a hold of her baseball bat. I was the first to enter, and spotted two undead feeding on what once was a human. I quietly approached them, together with Victor, and we both took one out. I stared down at the walker I had just killed. The female undead looked familiar to me, but I wasn't quite sure where I knew her from.

I guess it didn't really matter, anyway.

We did a quick scan of the rest of the store and then we started filling our bags with groceries. Shopping had never been so fulfilling before. I even witnessed a smile on Daniel's face when we found a bag of his favorite chips.

After our quick shopping spree in the supermarket we decided to go and seek shelter in one of the houses. Darkness already started to set in. Days were getting shorter soon, so finding shelter was just about time.

We found a lovely house, a few minutes away from the supermarket. Victor started checking the house for threats while we stayed behind in the hallway.

I walked up to a little desk, which was filled with photo frames, filled with pictures of happy and smiling people. I picked up one of the frames, observing the people in it. It appeared to be a family, a man who had wrapped his arm around the woman's shoulder, and a child in the middle, holding his mother's hand. I wondered what had happened to them, would they be dead now? Or had they managed to escape this madness, and were they safe and sound in a camp? I put the frame back. I guess I would never find that out.

Victor motioned to us that the place was safe, and locked all doors behind us to prevent unwelcome surprises stumbling in. Once in the living room we emptied our backpacks, happy about all of the groceries we had collected.

"Guys, I don't know about you, but I'm starving," I smiled weakly. "Let's eat, and celebrate our newfound safety." That idea was met with enthusiasm.

That night I was happy to sleep in a normal bed again, with a full stomach and in a seemingly safe environment. Victor and I had decided on sharing the couple's bed, since Hannah wanted to stay with Daniel in the little boys' room. A weird sensation got a hold of me as Victor and I started undressing ourselves, getting ready for bed. It felt odd, sharing a bedroom with Ben's best friend.

When I turned around he wore nothing more than a boxer, making me blush. I had never really paid attention to his physique before, but he looked good.

"I eh, are you okay with this? Or should I go find a pajama?" The man stuttered, also blushing.

"No, it's fine. I mean, well, you should sleep in whatever is comfortable for you, I guess." He sent me a quirky smile.

"Usually I sleep naked, but I didn't want to do that to you." I also started laughing.

We both got into the luxurious bed, and I immediately felt relaxed as I lay down on the soft matrass. I had missed a bed so badly, and now I was in one of the most comfortable beds I had ever experienced. Judging from the corner of my eye, Victor felt the same way.

"Damn, these people at least had a great taste in beds," he sighed happily. My smile faded.

"Vic?" I asked him, a little uncertain. His smile faded as well. "What is it, Demi?" I stared down.

"What do you think happened to the former inhabitants of this house?"

He was silent for a while, staring into the distance. "I… Maybe it's best we don't think too much about that. This world has changed, Dem. Nothing is what it seems anymore. For all we know they fled, and are happy someplace else now." He tried to sound cheerful, but it failed. My eyes were down casted.

"Where do you think Ben went?" The question escaped my lips before I could even think about it. I witnessed the guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry," I quickly apologized.

"I have no idea where he could be. I was quite harsh to him, at the camp fire. I think that's why he left. I'm the one who should apologize, Demi."

I grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. "This is not your fault."

He stared at the ceiling. "But I know you loved him." I let go of his hand.

"I did. But that was before he lied. Again. I finally found the courage to tell him how much his substance abuse affected me, and he betrayed me. Causing my best friend to perish in the process." I tried to ignore the way my heart hurt, thinking about this. "Maybe this is for the best. Maybe he'll find another group." I realized I was trying to make the thought of his absence less painful, but the pain remained.

"Let's go to sleep, okay?" I requested, and the dark-haired man nodded, resting his head on the pillow. I decided to do the same, but all of a sudden the bed didn't feel so comfy anymore. I wasn't sure if I'd ever feel alright again.

The next few days we enjoyed the various luxuries we had missed for so long in the mountains. There was no electricity or heating, but at least there was water, and we were able to have cold showers. I even found new outfits for me to wear.

Slowly I started to feel safe again, but I knew that was only an illusion. I had felt so safe at the camp, and still the undead had found us there. It was a matter of time before they'd come knocking on this door. Them, or the living.

I had seen several people trespassing the town. Survivors, just like us. All of them were looking for a place to stay and hide, and every time their eyes fell on this house my heart skipped a beat, but they always chose to move along. Some of them got attacked by the undead, and one time I saw a woman getting ripped apart by these things. I had wanted to help her, certainly when I noticed how her group just fled to safety, leaving her to fend for her own, but Victor had insisted on not drawing any attention. I knew he was right, of course, but the sighting of that woman perishing had made my stomach turn.

That was good, though. I did not want this world to make me completely senseless. Surviving was important, but staying sane was the real challenge. I noticed how this world with all its events and Ben's sudden absence had made me colder, and it was something that scared me. Before all this I was a social worker, and I knew how important mental health was. I had to digest Olivia's death and Ben's departure, but I couldn't lose my mind over that, no matter what.

One evening, after Victor and Hannah had returned from a supply run, our bubble of safety burst by a knock on our door. It startled all of us. Victor narrowed his eyes while I eyed him.

"You think someone followed you here?" I whispered, afraid. If that was the case we were screwed. But he slowly shook his head.

"I didn't see anyone."

The knocking became more urgent. "Please, please let us in. I'm out here with my two daughters," the voice started to plead with us. It was a man's voice, and he indeed sounded desperate. But this had happened to us before.

"I noticed two people going into this house, a dark-haired man and a red-haired girl. I didn't mean to follow you. I just happened to see you go in here."

Victor eyed me and motioned to the window. I understood what he wanted, and carefully approached the window, trying if I could see if the man was speaking the truth. There was indeed a man standing on the porch, with two little girls. But what loomed up behind him gave me goosebumps. His knocking and shouting had drawn the attention of the undead.

"Quick, open the door!" I hissed at Victor, who gave me a nod, drew his knife and speeded to the door.

"Hurry in!" He yelled at our unexpected visitors while they stared at him in shock, eyeing his knife. But then one of the girls turned around, seeing what I had previously seen. She started screaming.

"They're coming, daddy!"

Victor quickly surpassed our visitors and grabbed the closest approaching undead, jamming his knife into its head. The man speeded inside, torching his daughters with him, while Victor took out a few more of the undead and made his way back inside. He locked the door, and then stared at our visitors as the undead started scratching our door.

"You shouldn't have come here. Now they discovered this place."

* * *

 **God, these undead things keep haunting 'em, will they never catch a break?**

 **New TWD characters! Can you guess who just joined the story?**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi guys! I'd like to thank you all for your reviews, PMs and support! It means the world to me. And if any of you guys is writing a story right now, please let me know, I'd like to read it. Love to see what you guys are up to.**

 **HellaChloe: You'll be pleased then! Writing Lizzie has been a pleasure.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Yep. That is too much to ask for.**

* * *

Demi's POV:

The man, bearded and probably into his early forties, stared back at us with a distraught look on his face. He seemed genuinely upset, not like one to harass us. One of the girls reached for his hand, pinching it. They were covered in dirt, but they didn't seem bitten.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't think." He looked a little pale. "I just saw you entering this house. We lost our group."

Victor sighed, as the scratching became louder. "Well, not kicking you out like this. Especially not with those little girls. But honestly, you should have been more careful. Your yelling at our door drew their attention, and now we have to relocate. Only more will come knocking from now. They're not gonna give us up."

The man looked as if he was truly sorry. I decided he was harmless.

"Well, it happened," I remarked, "and there's nothing we can change about it now. I suggest we stay here another night, as it is too late to relocate now, but we can think of a plan tomorrow."

The man sent me a thankful glance. "Thank you, miss. I really didn't want to cause any trouble. It's just me, and my girls." I smiled at him, and then at the little girls.

"What are your names?" I asked as friendly as I could. One of them was still shaking, but the older one seemed to be doing just fine.

"This is Lizzie," the man pointed at the oldest girl, a thin blonde girl, probably not older than 11. She shrugged. Then he gazed at the girl who was still holding his hand. "And this is my youngest one, Mika." I smiled at the youngest girl, but she just grasped her father's hand tighter.

"I am Ryan. Ryan Samuels."

I introduced myself and the rest of us to them, and we shared some experiences we had so far. They had been on the run for a while now, trying to find a group they could join to improve their chances. I told him about the casualties we had suffered so far, but left Ben out of the story. That was of no importance.

Victor and I decided to keep watch together in the living room for the night, and offered our new group members the master bedroom. I tried to reassure the man that he and his daughters would be safe with us tonight, while Victor checked the house to make sure there would be no unexpected surprises.

"Where do we go now?" I asked as he returned and the others had left to go to get some rest. "Do we stay in this town, try another house?" The dark-haired man sat next to me on the ground and groaned, his eyes on the door.

"I wish we could have stayed here. I should have been more careful."

"It's not your fault," I tried to comfort him, putting my hand on his shoulder. He sent me a thankful smile. On the background the snarling and scratching continued. It made me shiver, and I drew back my hand.

"This is going to be a long night," I yawned.

"You can go sleep on the couch or something. I can take care of this on my own. If things escalate you'll be woken up soon enough," the dark-haired man offered, but I quickly shook my head.

"No way am I leaving you on your own now. We are a team, we have been for months. We are the last ones standing from our original group."

"You're right. We are the last ones standing. Hadn't quite thought of it like that," he thoughtfully said, a frown appearing on his face. He scratched his head.

"I still remember losing Peter, that first night, when we had no clue about what was going on. And losing Nick… That was awful. I'm glad you didn't have to witness that. And Olivia, God, Liv…" I saw the sad expression on his face, making me ache. "And now Ben. My very best friend. We grew up together, and we made promises to each other we would grow old together. Like, holidays with our families and stuff. Christmases. The usual stuff." He let out a deep sigh. "I can't believe we might never see him again."

I tried to ignore the feeling of a broken heart, and replaced it with anger instead. "He lied to us. Played us for fools," my voice quivered. "I told him about my past, and he lied to my face, saying everything was fine. It was all for nothing. This is his fault." Tears of anger welled up in my eyes, but I refused to wipe them away.

Victor put his hand on my arm. "We can blame him for lying, but we can't blame him for Olivia's death. It was an accident. Of course, it might not have happened if he had not gone off in the woods himself, but he did, and it did happen. There is nothing we can change about it now. She's gone, and so is he." Without thinking I buried my head in his shoulder, no longer holding back the tears.

The man started gently caressing my back, probably not knowing what to do with this hot mess I had become.

"I know you're right, deep down inside," I muffled in his chest. "It just… It hurts."

He started stroking my hair, which took me by surprise, but nonetheless it comforted me.

When I looked up at him through my tears, I saw something change in his expression. My heart suddenly started beating faster, which confused me. Slowly he put his hand in my neck, and pulled me closer. Just as he was about to kiss me, I averted my face.

"Demi…" His voice sounded off.

I took a large breath as I rose to my feet. "I'm sorry. I'm just… I can't." He looked at me with a guilty expression in his eyes.

"No, don't be sorry. I'm sorry. God, I'm such an idiot. I have no idea why I did that."

"It's okay," I tried to brush it off, giving him a weak smile. "I think I'm gonna take that offer now, to sleep on the couch. Is that still okay?" I was frantic.

"Of course it is," he hastened to say, running his hand through his dark hair. It had become quite long. "Go rest, it's okay. I got this covered." I sent him an awkward smile and left the hallway, almost stumbling over my own feet. With a confused sigh I lay down on the couch.

I had no idea what had just happened.

The next morning Hannah woke me up, just before dawn. A little sleepy still I stared at her.

"Are you coming, Demi? We are gonna go now. We're escaping through the garage, it's the safest way for now. There's even a working truck in there. Victor fixed it. So we don't have to go on foot. It will give us much better chances."

I stared at her, as the event from last night started dawning on me again.

"Are you okay, Dem?" She threw me a questionable glance. "You look a little… I don't know." She furrowed her brow.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You just woke me up from a… Dream, or something. I'm fine, really. Let's go." And I got on my feet. The girl narrowed her eyes, but I took off, dodging any more questions.

In the kitchen I bumped into Victor, whose cheeks colored by my sighting.

"Oh, hey. Did you get a good sleep?" I started studying my Converse sneakers. I had barely slept at all, that was how confused I was about all this. I hadn't seen this coming. Had I given him the wrong signal, in a way?

I was probably susceptible because my heart was broken, that must be it.

"Yeah, I guess," I responded, unsure about what to say. An awkward silence fell, and we both didn't really know how to break it.

"We, eh, should get back to getting our stuff," I finally said. "We have to leave as quickly as possible. I don't want to draw any attention, from the living or the dead." I hastily turned my heels, ready to go grab my stuff, when Victor called me back.

"Demi...?" I saw the confusion mirrored in his eyes.

"I'll see you in the garage," I plastered a smile, before I took off. I had no idea how to regard him, after this. And clearly neither did he. It made my head hurt.

Quickly I grabbed some clean clothes out of the closet. The grey knitted cardigan wasn't exactly my style, but it was the apocalypse. Anything that kept me warm and kept my limbs covered was good enough. I loaded everything I considered useful into my backpack and went down again, headed for the garage.

Ryan and his daughters were already seated in the truck, which reminded me of Victor's old truck. I could only hope this one would refrain from the same fate.

"Okay, Demi, listen up," Victor addressed me while he put the last luggage in the back of the truck. He had decided on acting like nothing had happened. "I need you to drive this thing, can you do that? You do have a license, right?" I stared at him with an open mouth.

"I… Are you sure you want me to drive the pick up?" He quickly nodded, brushing strands of hair out of his face. I could tell he was a little tense.

"Someone has to open that garage door and kill the approaching walkers. There are quite a few of them roaming the streets right now, aside from those banging on our back door, and that garage door opening will draw their attention. But I found a weapon I could use against them, which will probably be highly effective." His eyes shimmered, and behind his back a sword appeared.

I gasped. "Where did you get that?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Apparently the owner of this house liked to collect swords. Anyway, there's no way I'll let you do the dirty work, Demi. I'll open the door and kill everything in sight, and then you drive out of the garage and I'll hop back in. Do you agree?"

I hesitantly agreed to his plan. Someone had to open that door, and none of the others seemed capable enough of doing that and fight off the walkers. Victor was the only one who could give us a shot. An unpleasant feeling got a hold of me. It was risky, and I didn't want him to get hurt.

"Just be careful, okay?" I begged him, staring at my shoes, trying to swallow that lump that had formed in my throat. "I can't bear to lose another."

He lifted up my chin with his fingers, and looked into my eyes. The man had the most beautiful hazel eyes. I blinked a few times. "I'll be fine, Demi. I promise," he tried to comfort me. "Just get in the truck, and drive out as soon as it's possible."

I did as he said, and got behind the steering wheel. Hannah and the others were all stuffed on the backseat of the car. The smallest girl, Mika, eyed me anxiously. Lizzie just looked bored.

"It's going to be okay, guys," I spoke, as I adjusted the rearview mirror to my liking and started the car. Then I gave Victor a thumbs up, signaling he could open the door.

He hadn't exaggerated when he said it would make a lot of noise. Slowly, but with an awfully squeaky sound, the garage door opened. It was one of these traditional sectional garage doors, which slid up overhead. The sound of it almost deafened me.

After mere seconds I saw Victor swinging his newfound sword at the first intruder, slicing its head off. I heard Ryan gasp, as he covered the eyes of his children. Daniel just kept staring. A second one approached, meeting the same fate as his predecessor.

"Drive, Demi!" Hannah yelled at me. The door had opened just enough so I could drive through, or at least I believed so, but then I heard metal scratching on the roof. So much for that brand new pick-up...

It didn't really matter, anyway. None of it did. All that mattered was to get out of here.

"Come on, Vic!" I motioned him to get in the car. Many more walkers started coming our way, and if he didn't enter quick enough, our car would be swarmed in no time.

All of a sudden my eyes went big. "Watch out!" I yelled, but I was too late. One of the walkers grabbed Victor by his shirt. We all let out different kinds of cries as he fell to the ground, walkers piling on top of him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Guys! Relax. You didn't think I was gonna kill off one of my main characters just like that, right? I'm not pulling a 'What happened and what's going on' here. Also not gonna pull a Lori, I always hated that storyline. I mean, how realistic is it to just hook up with your husband's best friend when you think the man's dead? Who does that?**

 **So, let's put you all out of your misery and see how Victor managed to get out of this one...**

* * *

 _Victor's POV:_

Just as I was about to make my way back to the car, something yanked me down by my shirt. It was an undead woman, clinging to me with her rotten hands. We both thudded to the ground, she on top of me with her teeth clacking. A few more fell onto us, and our heads clashed.

A sharp pain shot through my head, but I did my best to ignore it. I wasn't about to give up now. Taking me down wasn't going to be that easy.

With my free hand I got a firm hold of my sword, grabbed the walker's head, and with an immense power I thrusted the blade through her softened skull, piercing the two walkers that were on top of her as well. With my remaining power and my feet adjusted to the now dead woman's head I pulled back the sword from their bodies and crawled away, swinging my sword at the other undeads surrounding me.

It was as if it rained body parts, but I wasn't even trying to aim at their heads anymore. Anything that would refrain them from moving would be good.

I was trying to control my heavy breathing as I made my way to the car. That had been a close one. My heart started beating faster by the kick I had gotten out of that. For a moment I felt invincible.

I sliced up a few more before entering the car, and closed the door just in time. Two of the undead started slamming on the window, desperate to get us on the menu for today. Demi accelerated, trying to get away from here as fast as she possibly could.

"Phew. That sure was exciting," I sighed as we exited the neighborhood, still amazed by my own skills. There were blood splatters all over my face and clothes, but I was unharmed. They had not bitten me or scratched my skin, they had just shredded my clothes. Wearing multiple layers of clothing had prevented me from getting harmed.

Demi let out a relieved sigh, but then started yelling at me. "God, what the fuck, Victor?! You scared the shit out of me! For a sec I thought they had you. Where did you learn those sword-moves, anyway?" I started laughing.

"Oh, Demi. Didn't Ben ever tell you we used to binge-watch all kinds of samurai movies when we were little? He always complained about it, but I just knew he secretly found it cool." I noticed how her sense of relief faded away, and her eyes focused on the road again. God, I was such a fool.

"I'm sorry, Demi." A weak smile escaped her.

"It's okay."

We were all silent while Demi drove. No one even asked where we were headed. I guess every destination was an option right now.

I rested my head against the window. I still couldn't believe I had tried to kiss her, last night. Why had I done that, anyway?

Ever since this whole thing started we had become so incredibly close. She was such an awesome girl and we had so much in common. Honestly, when she and Ben had gotten back together I was happy for them. I knew how much he loved her. But I started to think my feelings went a little further than platonic, too.

I had no idea when that had started. Maybe it had already started back at the house. Ben had accused me of liking her at the cabin, maybe he had been right. However, I had never planned on taking action.

Yet, something about her had me mesmerized yesterday. And the way she stared into my eyes…

No, no. What was I thinking? She was my best friend's lover.

Was.

I didn't even know if he was still alive. He had left us weeks ago, now. Ben wasn't really the survival type. Unless he ran into another group, his chances would be slim. He was probably delirious from the lack of substances.

He was probably dead.

My best friend was probably dead, and I had made a move on the woman he loved. She was probably still grieving from everything that had happened, and I had made a move on her during a vulnerable moment. Suddenly I felt horrible. That was an awful thing, I had done.

We definitely needed to talk about this, as soon as the circumstances would let us.

After crossing a dense forest and a couple of small towns, I decided to stop in the next town we would enter. I had taken over the steering wheel from Demi, who was sleeping next to me in the front seat. She murmured a little in her sleep. In the rearview mirror I could see the children were asleep too. Mika lay down against Daniel, while Lizzie's head rested against the window. Ryan stared out the window and my eyes met Hannah's via the rearview mirror.

"You okay, Han?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"As okay as you can be, in a zombie apocalypse." The redhead smiled, but her eyes were somber. "But Danny…" She quickly glanced at him before she faced me again. The boy was sound asleep. "I can't believe Danny has to grow up in a world like this, never knowing high school, or fighting with your parents over homework, or dating…" Her voice trailed off, and she averted her gaze from my eyes to the window.

I felt bad for the boy, too. To be so young, and live in constant fear…

I knew that there were children on this world to grow up under unbearable circumstances, at least, before the apocalypse started. But in this world only very few of us would last. I tried to ignore that thought.

Suddenly we all heard a loud bang, and the car started to hurtle. I tried my hardest to safely slow down the car, but couldn't avoid the crash barrier next to the road. With another loud bang the car came to a halt. Demi banged her head against the car window and Mika let out a screeching yell.

"Ahh!" The blonde next to me cried out in pain, bringing her hand to her temple, only to find it covered in blood.

"Demi! You're bleeding." She frowned at me while touching her wound again.

"Yeah, great observation. You should become a doctor," she sneered. "What happened?"

"I think it's a flat tire," I answered, exiting the car to have a closer look. Demi and Ryan exited the car as well.

"Yep, definitely a flat tire," Ryan commented, crouching down to have a closer look at it. "Does this car happen to have an extra tire in the trunk?" I shook my head.

"No, it doesn't."

The man rose to his feet again, a serious expression on his face. "Well, let's get our stuff and start walking, then." Demi's eyes widened at his words.

"Walk where? We are in the middle of nowhere! Where can we possibly go? I'm not going up in the mountains again. Why do cars that you drive always crash?" She indignantly crossed her arms. The blood from her head wound had started dripping onto her clothes.

She was about to walk away, but I grabbed her arm. "Let me first check that head wound, Demi. Luckily I was smart enough to bring a first-aid kit this time."

Still a bit hesitant she let me check her face, while Ryan checked the environment on potential threats. I cleaned her wound with a little water, making her squeal in pain. "Damnit, I feel like I've been run over."

"That's better," I nodded approvingly after cleaning her wound up. In the meantime the others had exited the car as well, realizing it had become unusable.

"Get your stuff guys, we will go to the nearest town by foot. But keep your eyes open, just because we don't see any undead right now doesn't mean they're not there."

The kids sighed, and I noticed everyone was a little bummed. We were literally stranded in the middle of nowhere, all I could see was a deserted road and endless grasslands, and here and there the occasional hay shed. It made me lose hope, too, but I knew we had to pull through.

We had been walking for hours now in the burning sun, and that took its toll on all of us, especially the children.

"I'm tired, daddy. When will we find a place to stay again?" Mika pouted, while her sister made a face at her.

"Stop being such a baby, Mika. Life on the road is more exciting anyway. We might see a walker, we might actually touch one."

I threw Lizzie a look. "Let's sure hope we don't. We can barely defend ourselves right now." I was carrying the backpack stuffed with supplies and my sword on my back, and held a baseball bat in one hand. A lot of the luggage had been left behind, as it was too much to carry. Demi carried a backpack with a few pieces of clothing and a first-aid kit, just in case, and Hannah and Ryan both carried bottles filled with water.

Aside from the baseball bat I had found in the garage and the sword that was sticking out of my backpack, we were short on weapons to defend us with. I knew Demi carried a gun she had found before during her time with Merle, but that served more like a last ditch effort, as using a gun would draw too much attention to us. We didn't know what or who was traveling the road alongside us.

"I think I see one!" Lizzie exclaimed, a little too cheerful to my liking. I quickly eyed the landscape, but didn't spot it right away.

"Where?"

Her smile widened. "There, in the cornfield!" I followed her pointed finger, and spotted the walker she was talking about. It seemed to be just a lone one, but you could never be sure. I tightened my grip on the baseball bat.

"Can I do it?" Surprised I averted my gaze from the walker and stared at the little blonde girl, her eyes shimmering. "Do what?"

"Go up to him. I have never seen one from that close before. Well, except when my mother turned..." I didn't take my eyes off the girl, looking puzzled.

"Lizzie, honey, let Victor handle it." Ryan tried to comfort the girl. "It's best if we stay put." I nodded to them as I made my way into the cornfield, carefully approaching the walker. He hadn't seen me yet, he just roamed around, looking for dinner.

With great force I swung my bat against the back of its head, knocking it down. I kept hitting it until it stopped moving, and woke up by a scream. Lizzie and the others had followed me into the field, and the little girl stared at the deceased walker with eyes as big as plates.

"You killed it. Why did you kill it?" A bit incredulous I stared at her.

"Because it would have killed us if I hadn't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

She crouched down to the corpse, investigating it. It made me feel a little awkward.

"There's barely anything left of his face." I had to admit the girl was right about that. I had beaten the walker's head to a pulp, and it didn't look too pretty.

"Guys," Hannah interrupted us, gazing at something behind us. I followed her gaze and found what she was staring at. A small church, not far from here. Demi let out a relieved sigh and I saw Daniel and Mika brighten up too.

"Let's get a closer look at it," Hannah urged.

"We don't know if it's deserted. Maybe it got overrun," I tried, but the others had already set their sights on the church.

"Come on, Vic," Demi motioned me. "Just for the night. The sky is already starting to darken, anyway, and I'm tired. We need a place to stay." She cracked a small smile, and I knew she was right. This was our only shot.

"Okay guys, stay back, Demi and I will inspect the inside." I didn't want to endanger Demi's life, but I knew I wouldn't be able to clear the place alone.

"Alright Dem," I said as we were about to enter the holy house. "Back me up." I pushed open the large wooden entrance door, and we both heard sudden grunting. A female walker stumbled up on us, her dress ripped to shreds and her flesh rotten. It had definitely been a church goer, once, judging by her once so neat appearance.

Behind her a male walker loomed, also longing for us. I jabbed my sword through the female's skull, while Demi beat down the male. We were both successful in finishing them off, but also covered in blood.

Slowly I opened the door that lead us to the parish. A horrible smell met us as soon as the door opened, and I motioned Demi to wait for me as I entered. Inside I found the pastor, clearly deceased. It wasn't a nice view. The man appeared to have shot himself, judging by his self-induced head wound and the bloody note my eye fell on, next to him.

 _God forgives_ , it read.

A little incredulous I shook my head, watching his heavily decayed body. He must have done it a while ago, at the start of all of this, presumably. The scent was unimaginable, and I hastily left the pastor's room again, closing the door behind me. Demi sent me a questioning glance.

"What was in there?"

"The pastor. Shot himself." I responded, a little shaken, still. "So much for sinning in church. Let's get rid of the bodies and just barricade the church for the night, alright?" The blonde nodded, and moved towards the female. We dragged both of the walkers out and called the others in.

"It's been a while since I've been in a church," Hannah remarked, eyeing the place. It was a small but beautiful church, with lots of ornaments and images. It reminded me a bit of my own church, in the village where I had lived my whole life. That memory saddened me a little. I used to be religious when I was younger, but how could I possibly believe in a God in times like these? What God let the dead walk the earth?

We all moved to the altar. The holy place was a mess and I wasn't sure where or how we were going to sleep, but at least it kept us safe for the night. I had found some matrasses back in the parish, and a few blankets and pillows, which that had to be sufficient for the night. Ryan made a bed out of it for his daughters, while Hannah and Daniel sought refuge in the back of the church. That left privacy for Demi and me to discuss earlier events.

"Can we talk, Demi?" I asked when we were out of hearing distance for the others. The blonde shrugged. "I guess. It's not like I've got anything else to do."

We both sat down at the confession booth. Kinda ironic, I thought to myself.

"I want to apologize for last night," I started off. "It was wrong of me to do that. I have no idea what I was thinking, but I never meant to scare you off, or to take advantage of you, or use you, or -"

"It's okay, Vic," the blonde interrupted me. "I get it." I frowned at her.

"You do?"

She nodded. "Like I said, we're the last ones standing from our original group. It's normal to confuse a bond like that for deeper feelings." She seemed convinced of her own theory.

My thoughts started racing. Would that be the truth? Was I feeling this way because she was all I had left from my old life? No, I came to the conclusion. That wasn't it. That couldn't be it. It had been there before. Ben had noticed it, too.

"I don't think that's it, Demi," I said in a low voice. "I don't think that's it at all."

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. I started to get a little nervous. "Are you okay?"

"I, eh," she stammered, averting her eyes from me. With a sudden movement she rose to her feet, a bit unsteady. "I'm sorry, Vic."

And with those words she stormed off.

* * *

 **Poor Demi... As if her life wasn't sucky enough.**


	25. Chapter 25

**First of all, I'd like to welcome some new readers to this story! I hope you all enjoy it. I have written so much the past few days! I'm up to chapter 38 right now, so that's huge. I'm not sure how long this story will turn out to be eventually, but I am thinking about an ending. The coming weeks I will not be able to write much, but I have so much pre-written already, it won't affect future updates. I am close to getting a fulltime job, and in that case I won't have much time left to write... But we'll see how it goes.**

 **HellaChloe: I did enjoy 'What happened and what's going on' as well, I think it was one of the best episodes so far, and I really enjoyed these dead characters coming back to life. Well, sort of. I just thought Tyreese's death came too soon. First Beth dies, and then the episode after her death they lose Tyreese. But I guess it is realistic. Everyone will die eventually, the same goes for my story.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Thank youuuu :D**

 **For those who wondered about Ben's whereabouts... Well, here you have it. After this chapter you'll probably know where I'm headed with this story. For now, at least. The first part of this chapter is some sort of hommage to someone I know, as to one of my readers... I hope nobody takes offense, it is not meant to offend anyone.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

"Ben!"

I yawned, and slowly opened my eyes. A blonde woman was hanging over me, a worried look on her face.

"God, Ben, you sure sleep like a baby. For a second I thought you were dead." Then she smirked and tilted her head a little. "Were you dreaming about a girl?"

I stretched a little and sat up. My back was stiff from sleeping on the couch but other than that I was fine. "What? No, why?" I followed her gaze.

Oh.

My cheeks colored deep red. "I, uh, uh…" She laughed and shook her head.

"I'm just teasing ya. It's okay. I've had boyfriends before. Nothin' new." Still blushing I stood up and quickly made my way to the toilet. When I returned to the room I stretched some more. The sun was already high up in the sky. Had I really slept for that long?

"Where's Michonne?" I asked the perky blonde. Her hair was tied into a messy ponytail, and her blue eyes looked friendly. She surely was an attractive woman.

"She's on a supply run." The blonde walked up to the window and gazed outside. "She wasn't too happy about you sleeping in. Could've used your help. I told her to let you sleep. You seemed to need it."

I smiled. "Thanks, Andrea."

I had met Andrea and Michonne not long after I had left Demi and the others. Leaving them had been an impulsive decision, I just couldn't deal with their silences and accusatory glances anymore. What I had done was awful, lying to them like that, and I knew they weren't going to forgive me just like that, especially not Demi.

So I left.

The first few days had been tough, and I had been thinking about giving up a lot. I was lonely, scared and this time withdrawal started kicking in for real. I didn't know why I was still trying to survive, I had nothing left to live for, and started playing with the thought to just get it over with.

When the walkers came for me I didn't even move. I just sat there, waiting for them to end it all. It probably would have been a painful way to go, but at least it was better than sitting around and waiting on something that would never come. I was delirious, and positive life would only get worse.

And then the hooded woman had shown up.

With some swift moves she had decapitated all of the walkers that had surrounded me. I watched them all fall down, heads rolling.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, boy?" She had hissed at me, incredulous. And agitated I had looked up, only to see she was accompanied by two undead men, chained up and with their jaws and arms removed.

I had gaped at her.

"Who are you? And… What are _that_?"

She stared at me with her big dark brown eyes, her face gruff. Then a blonde woman had popped up from behind her.

"Jesus, man, what are you trying to prove?! You would have been killed if Michonne and I hadn't spotted you from afar!" She looked furious, as if it had been _her_ life at stake, instead of mine.

"Who says I wanted to be saved? Maybe I wanted them to attack me, and you ruined it." I spoke bitterly.

The dark-skinned woman, Michonne, had kept staring at me, while the blonde had lost her head.

"Do you even know what you're saying right now? I lost my sister to these things!" She spit out the words, while I had just crossed my arms indignantly.

"I'm sorry for your loss, I really am, but this isn't your choice to make." I stared into the distance again, turning away from the women. I was surprised when the blonde sat down next to me. She put her hand on my arm, and I looked up to find a compassionate shimmering in her blue eyes.

"Look, I know what it's like to not want to live in this world anymore, trust me. I was devastated when my sister died. She was so full of life." Her eyes were somber, and her mind seemed distant. "But you gotta keep trying."

I sighed and remained quiet.

"Give it up, Andrea," Michonne urged. Andrea rose to her feet and as they walked away, dragging the harmless walkers with them, I had a change of heart.

"Wait."

They stopped moving, and Andrea turned to me expectantly.

"I'm on my own. Do you mind if I travel with you for a bit? I eh, don't think I stand that much of a chance on my own." I admitted reluctantly. The blonde just smiled.

That bit had turned to weeks, and from weeks to months. I had learned that these chained walkers were for protection, and with my own eyes I had seen how well it had worked.

I got along the best with Andrea. The blonde was a couple of years older than me and had been a lawyer before all of this went down, just like Victor. She was witty and intelligent, and I liked that. On top of that she was brave, taking out walkers like a pro. We were in the middle of her teaching me how to handle a gun, which was a boy dream come true.

Michonne, on the other hand, often remained quiet. She seemed hardened, and I wasn't sure why. Her best friend was her katana, and though she and Andrea got along relatively well, she still shunned me, not trusting me completely.

I hadn't told them what had occurred with my old group. I just told them they were gone. And they were, in a way. I was positive they hadn't even searched for me. Finally they were freed from the flawed addict.

I was doing much better now. I did not have a drink in months. This once we had found a pack of cigarettes during a supply run, and I had smoked those, much to Andrea's dismay, but other than that I was clean. And that felt good.

Yet part of me was still broken-hearted over Demi, as much as I hated that. I wondered where she was, and if she was okay. Even more so I wondered if Victor had made his move yet. To me it was clear he was gonna, with me out of the picture. I could understand why, she was an incredible girl. Would she have accepted, though? Or did she, somehow, far far away, still –

"Earth to Ben? Hello? What's with you today?" Andrea curiously eyed me, and I let out a sigh.

"Nothing. I was just… Thinking." I emphasized, and she raised her eyebrow, but before she could say anything else we both heard a sound. Something stumbling. It set us both on edge.

The blonde let out a relieved sigh when the dark-skinned woman came through the door.

"You scared me, Michonne."

The latter rolled her eyes, but refrained from speaking. Instead she threw me a bag. I barely caught it.

"What's that?" Andrea wanted to know. "Come on, open it."

Cautiously I opened the bag, searching for the content. Whatever was in it wasn't heavy. When I saw what it was I started smiling. It was a lighter. A while back I had mentioned how I used to collect lighters, before the apocalypse. At home I had a huge collection of them, in all kinds of sizes and brands.

"Thanks, Michonne," I smiled at her, but she didn't return my smile. "Did you find anything else on your supply run? Like something more useful than a lighter?" Andrea demanded to know, slightly irritated.

"We have to relocate," Michonne said, grabbing her stuff.

"What? Why?" Andrea's voice echoed through the room. I put the lighter into my pocket and looked up at the both of them.

"Because it's not safe here."

Andrea and I quickly exchanged a glance, but started packing our stuff nonetheless. Michonne was a woman that could be trusted on her word. I had no idea how long she had been on her own before rescuing Andrea, but she seemed to be perfectly capable of determining whether we were in danger or not. It actually surprised me we were able to stay in this place for so long.

Michonne got her shackled walkers and we carefully made our way outside, through the field, dragging the walkers along. I was still amazed by them, and wondered if Michonne had known them before the apocalypse. For some reason I couldn't imagine her dragging along two unknown walkers, but maybe I was wrong.

"I spotted people," Michonne spoke after we had walked for a number of minutes. "They looked like soldiers of some sort."

Andrea made eye-contact with the woman. "But isn't that a good thing? Maybe we should approach them, who knows, maybe they can help us, or bring us to a camp or so." Michonne resolutely shook her head. "No. We'll observe 'em first."

All of sudden she eyed me. "I, eh, I think that's a good idea. Nowadays you don't know who to trust," I replied. She nodded, while Andrea stayed quiet.

We made our way through a small forest. Every time a walker crossed our path I held my breath, but none of them attacked us. It still gave me the creeps though, to see them from such a close distance. Their eyes were all glassy and bloodshot. Empty. Yet these creatures walked the earth as if they had always been there. As if there had never been a normal world.

In the distance I heard thunder, and I noticed the sky darken. A thunderstorm was on its way, and I knew how thunderstorms in the mountains could develop. We had to find shelter.

"Ladies, it might be a good idea to find a new shelter soon. The sky is going to break in a matter of minutes." I had not entirely spoken my sentence, or small raindrops started falling from the sky.

"Ah, shit," Andrea cursed. She inspected the environment, as did I, but there wasn't anything helpful in sight. We were in the middle of nowhere, in an open field, surrounded by mountains.

It started raining harder now, and the raindrops left dark spots on my white t-shirt. We all tried to move quickly, which wasn't exactly an easy task to do while dragging these walkers with us. I feverishly started thinking of places where we could shield ourselves from the storm, but I had no clue. This area was completely new to me. I didn't think I had ever been here before. We're fucked, I thought to myself as rain starting pouring from the sky.

"Follow me!" Michonne suddenly hissed, and she motioned us to come with her.

We followed her for a while, getting completely soaked to my underwear, until we arrived at a little hay shed. She chained her walkers up at the door and motioned us to enter it. She came after us, shutting the door behind us.

I looked around in the shed. It was barely big enough to store the three of us, it was just a small hay shed where farmers would stack some of their hay during summers. My family used to own a similar one. At least we were dry in here, dry and safe.

"Damnit, I'm completely soaked," Andrea complained, wringing out her shirt. Her wet hair hung in strands around her face. Michonne sat down, not acknowledging the fact the water still poured down her back.

I let out a big sigh. "Well, at least we are safe here. Safe from the walkers, and the storm."

In the background thunder roamed, echoing through the mountains, while the rain slammed against the wooden door.

This was going to be a long day.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi guys, is it me or is the site being weird?**

 **HellaChloe: Well, this fic will make you happy, then! There's a little more Michonne than Andrea, but still.**

 **Maddy: Haha, who says he was wearing anything at all?**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

I honestly didn't know if things could get any more confusing.

So much had happened these past few months, it gave me a headache just from thinking about it. The whole apocalypse, that house invasion, Noah, Tyler, Merle, finding back my friends, getting together with Ben, losing Olivia and Sophia and losing Ben again...

And now this whole situation with Victor. Part of me actually felt betrayed. He had been my friend since the start of this whole thing, and I had genuinely believed we were just that.

Friends.

He was an attractive guy, I wasn't gonna lie about that. He was the kind of guy I could have fallen for during college. He was smart, funny, handsome, and actually brought something to the table.

But I had fallen for Ben instead. When he had introduced me to Victor, I hadn't thought much of it. He was just the best friend of the man I loved, nothing more, nothing less. Simple as that.

How different were things now, I thought back with a sigh.

I looked up to the sky, the beautiful dark sky, full of stars and constellations. I had always loved these clear and starry nights, Ben and I could gaze at it for hours, and hours to come.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Victor. There was this attraction between us, that was undeniable, but did that mean I liked him? Or was my heart just bleeding because I had lost someone I loved?

Suddenly I hated Ben. This was all his fault. If only he hadn't lied to us, if he hadn't gone to the pond that night, if he hadn't left... We'd still be together, and I'd not even consider this whole deal. But he had left, and his absence had ripped me right open. The thought of him being dead suffocated me, but I knew it was a likely scenario. He wasn't fit to survive on his own.

"Damnit, Ben," I whispered to the silent sky. "How could you leave me like that? How could you?"

No answer came.

The next morning I was exhausted, having barely slept. We all were. I had spent the night at Hannah's and Daniel's side, not ready to face Victor yet. I needed time to think about all of this.

The others had already started packing their stuff. From where I was laying I could see Ryan and Victor moving around, determining whether or not the outside was safe enough for us to travel. I didn't see the little girls, though. I wondered where they went.

"Are you okay, Demi?" A small voice suddenly asked me, while I was still buried in the pillows that were stacked on the ground, in the back of the church. Daniel's expectant eyes looked right into mine.

I quickly sat up. "Hey bud. Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a rough night, that's all." I smiled at him while he started observing me with those big dark eyes. All of a sudden I wondered how Ben's leaving had affected him. The boy had been quite fond of Ben, and at first he had seemed a little quieter, but to be honest, Daniel and I had never been so close.

Poor child, I thought to myself. First he lost Sophia and Olivia, and then Ben left. At least he still had his sister. I decided on trying to get to know him a little better from now on. Not in the last place to avoid Victor.

"Are you two coming?" Victor yelled at us, and the boy looked up. "The coast is as clear as can be, so we're leaving."

I stood up and extended my hand to Daniel. "You comin', kid? We gotta keep moving." He grabbed my hand and I pulled him up. I really didn't feel like travelling again, but we didn't have much of a choice.

I noticed how the mountains became less and less high, the further we walked this road. I wondered why that was. Where we even still in the same country? There was no way to really tell. All I knew is that I had never been here before.

"I really do not feel like walking anymore," Lizzie complained. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"Stop complaining, Lizzie," Mika argued with her sister. "We are just on our way to finding a place where we are safe, right dad?" Ryan nodded, which went accompanied with a weak smile.

"That's right, pumpkin. Soon we'll find a place to stay. I'm sure Victor knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, killing walkers, beating them up," the girl muttered, looking agitated. I raised my eyebrow. "You do know they need to be killed, right?"

Now she affirmed her gaze on me. "But what if they don't want to hurt us? What if they don't want to be killed? Like my mother?" Ryan helplessly eyed me.

"Sweetheart, maybe you should look at the flowers," he tried, but the girl shook her head, and kept walking instead.

Victor and I exchanged a glance. This child started to freak me out. How did she not understand what was going on with the world? The apocalypse was going on for a while now, and by now she should understand that these walkers had anything but friendly intentions.

I was happy when we arrived in a new town. Victor took down a few walkers while we entered the deserted town, and I myself swiftly killed one too, but other than that the place seemed barren, which was a good and a bad sign at the same time. Where had all these people gone, and how many of them were walkers now?

We conquered the nearest house, a lovely little house with a cute porch, right out of my dreams, I had always wished for a home like this. I didn't need much.

The inside was a lot less nice, though. The former inhabitants, an elderly couple, had shot themselves in the living room. The place was a mess, as there were pieces of brains sticking against the wall, covered in blood. The mere sight of it was enough to make me vomit.

At least now I didn't need to wonder what had happened to these people, as I had done at the last houses where we had stayed.

Victor had taken their shotgun, you could never know when that was gonna come in handy. Besides, you couldn't let weapons like that just lay around like that. Who knows who would find them, and use them for the wrong reasons.

To my delight I did find the kitchen counters filled with packaged foods. That meant we didn't need to go on a supply run for the next couple of days, something that likely extended our lives for a little bit.

For now we were safe, and that was the best it could get.

"Okay Demi, spill it."

Hannah gave me a curious glance. She had kept eyeing me ever since I had asked her if I could spend the night with them. I had opted to lessen the gaps between the groups that had formed. Ryan always spent time with his daughters, and Hannah and Daniel were always together as well, which had left me with Victor, something I wasn't looking forward to right now.

I let out a nervous laugh. "Spill what?"

She tilted her head a little. "The division you have made today. Stocking Victor with Ryan and the kids in the couples' bedroom, you staying with us in the spare room. If I hadn't known any better I'd say you've been avoiding Victor the whole day. What's the matter with you?"

Damn. The girl was smart.

"I, eh…" How was I going to say this? Was I even going to say this?

"Something happened between the two of you, hasn't it? He likes you, but you're confused. Your mind is still with Ben." She batted her eyes a few times, as my mouth fell wide open.

"How do you do that?" She grinned. "Do what?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Reading my mind. Knowing what's going on."

She let out a good-natured sigh. "Oh Demi, it's actually quite obvious. Like I told you before, I overheard them fighting over you back at my parents' cabin, and I've been paying attention to it ever since. The guy is smitten with you, and Ben knew it too."

I opened my mouth, but then closed it again, not sure about what to say. Instead I slowly exhaled, and watched Daniel, who was sound asleep already.

"I get why you're confused, though. It must be confusing for you. I'm not entirely sure what went down between you and Ben before, and well, I never really was a fan of him anyway, but it must have been hard for you to lose him like that again."

I stared to the ground. "I just… He lied to me. To all of us. He knew how much his sobriety meant to me, and yet he didn't quit the drinking. That cost me my best friend's life, and Sophia's, too."

Hannah started patting my back. "You can't blame him for their deaths. It was an accident, a coincidence. The walkers would have found us that night, anyway. Whether it was at that spot or at the camp, it doesn't really matter. I get why you blame him for lying to you, but I guess lying about it indicates he truly has a problem."

I sent her a sad smile. "And I turned my back on him, thus signing his death sentence."

"He chose to leave us behind. We shouldn't have given him the cold shoulder, maybe, but in the end he was the one that left." Slowly I nodded. I knew Hannah was right, I just wasn't sure if I was ready to admit that to myself.

"And now Victor…" She continued with an apologetic glance. "It's all a lot to process. Just do it one step at a time. You don't have to have all of the answers right now. Let it sink in."

"You know Hannah, you would have made a great psychologist," I smiled at her, and she returned it. "Actually I was planning on studying English literature, after the summer. I love to read, and I had my hopes set on becoming a writer, some day. Guess that dream is further away than ever." She walked over to the window, gazing outside. I decided to join her.

The street was empty, aside from some walkers roaming around. I wondered where they came from, and where they went.

"Demi?" Hannah woke me up from my thoughts. "What do you think is gonna happen from here?"

I bit my lip. I wish I could have provided her with an answer, but the future was as much of a mystery to me as it was to her. I simply had no idea what was about to happen. That both relieved and terrified me. Who knew how much worse it was going to get from now… I couldn't imagine it becoming any better.

"I don't know, Hannah. I really don't."

* * *

 **I like Hannah. I'd be sad to see her go. Wouldn't you?**


	27. Chapter 27

**It's pretty funny how you all think I will kill off Hannah. I may or may not do that, but you guys do realize it's a zombie apocalypse, right? No one's safe. Unless you're Rick. Or Daryl. Something with riots.**

 **Maddy: November, yes, but January? :p I guess Demi and I have that in common.**

 **HellaChloe: Well, it is a zombie apocalypse...**

 **ladyres: Because Lori's not in my story, and I might bring Carol around, eventually... Haven't decided yet.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

I was sitting with my back against the wall. Next to me Andrea was lying on the ground, in the most uncomfortable position I had ever laid eyes on.

I had to try. "Andrea? You better sit up now. This is going to kill your back." She slowly opened her eyes and gave me a look.

"My back is pretty much already killed. Just like the rest of my body," the woman murmured, closing her eyes again.

Ever since that thunderstorm had caught up with us, one week ago, Andrea had been sick. I suspected she had influenza, and Michonne was out trying to find some medicine that would get Andrea back on track again. She had told us that during one of her supply runs, she had come across a pharmacy, and right now she was trying to get a hold of some aspirin while I was taking care of Andrea.

We had taken refuge at a deer cooler, and the place smelled like a thousand deaths. My nose wrinkled by the smell of it. Absolutely horrendous.

I heard a door open, and seconds later I heard the walkers' grunting intensify. My heart starting beating faster in my chest, only to see Michonne come through the door with her katana drawn.

"Jesus, you scared me, Michonne," I remarked a little agitated, but she withdrew her katana and ignored me, going straight to Andrea, who was still lying on the floor.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Need to sleep," the blonde murmured again, her eyes still closed. Michonne grabbed her arm and pulled her straight up, until she was sitting. She looked horrible. Her condition had only worsened over the days, and we had to think of something soon, otherwise she was never going to last.

"Did you find it?" I asked, but the dark-skinned woman still didn't reply to me. Instead she got something out of her bag and fed it to Andrea. I figured that was the much-needed aspirin.

Andrea panted a few times while Michonne cooled her head with a bottle of water.

"How is it out there?" The woman panted. "Same. It's quiet," Michonne responded with her eyes downcast.

"You're lying."

In fact, Michonne really _was_ lying. This place was walker-infested, they were everywhere. This deer cooler wasn't really the safest place to stay. Once the undead would come knocking on this door, we'd be screwed, as I wasn't sure there was another way out.

"We should go in a couple of days," Michonne admitted, sighing.

"You and Ben should just go, I'll only hold you two back," Andrea's voice grew quieter with every word. "I can take care of myself." Michonne started shaking her head as Andrea burst out into another episode of couching. The woman quickly provided her with some more water, which she dismissed.

"I won't have you guys dying for me," she spoke, her eyes affirmed on me now. She hugged her knees.

"We'll go in a few days," Michonne repeated. Then she rose to her feet and left the room. I quickly followed her.

She sat down on one of the tables. "We have to get her help, you know. She won't survive without some medical support. We don't have 'a few days' anymore, we have to go," I commented, pacing up and forth.

"I know," the woman replied, looking distraught.

"So, what do we do?" She looked down at her feet. I knew she had grown fond of Andrea, and neither one of us would ever leave her here, but we had to think of something. I started massaging my temples.

"We'll let her rest today. Tomorrow we'll leave," she decided, and I nodded.

"I'll be ready."

A sudden sound awoke us from our thoughts as we were wandering down the road. Andrea looked up.

"What was that?" She eyed the both of us. I shrugged, having no idea. A few seconds later we heard another sound, something that could best be described as a crashing sound. It didn't take long before we saw thick clouds of smoke coming up from the woods.

Michonne and Andrea exchanged a glance, and then Andrea looked at me. It was clear to me what she wanted.

"Let's go take a look, then," I gave in. I wasn't sure if that was the best idea we've ever had, but I must admit my curiosity got the best of me, too.

The first thing Andrea did when we arrived at the site was throw up. A helicopter had crashed into the forest, and it didn't look too good. I wondered if there would be any survivors at all.

"Don't push yourself," Michonne told Andrea, stationing her near some bushes. She chained her walkers to a tree and crouched down next to Andrea. "Ben and I will go check it out." I gasped. She wanted me to come with her?

Michonne carefully started to approach the crashed chopper, and I hesitantly followed her. What I saw there almost made me throw up as well.

There was a man, laying on the ground. The propeller of the helicopter had him chopped in half, and his lower torso was a few meters apart from his upper torso, his intestines shattered all over the ground. I put a hand over my mouth while Michonne just stood there, observing the recently deceased man.

Just as we were about to inspect the rest of the helicopter, to see if there were any survivors left, we heard a car approaching. "Quick! Someone's coming," Michonne motioned me, as she hurried back to Andrea. I was right behind her.

She ducked into the bushes, and I did the same. Andrea was still shivering. "Are there any survivors?"

Michonne shook her head. "Two dead, not sure about the other."

We all saw two cars stopping near the crash. A couple of men came out of the cars, and one of them tried to aim at a walker with his gun.

"Save those rounds for when you need 'em," a voice told him, and he withdrew his weapon. Another man took out one of the walker with a crossbow. In the meantime Andrea had a hard time trying not to couch. Michonne patted her back, while I carefully eyed the newcomers. Who were they, and where did they come from? What were their intentions?

The men took out some more walkers, and two of them inspected the inside of the crashed chopper. He then motioned the others. We were all silent, trying to pick up on their conversation.

Suddenly we heard grunting coming nearer. A walker had found its way to us, and Andrea and I exchanged a shocked glance. The men were still searching through the helicopter. Michonne quietly reached for her katana, but the walker stumbled past us, towards the helicopter. The man with the crossbow ended his undead life.

"Hey, they're saving the pilot," Andrea remarked, and Michonne and I both looked up. Two men were dragging the pilot out of the chopper. "We should show ourselves."

"Not yet," Michonne responded, with gritted teeth. I could only agree with her, who knows what they'd do with that pilot once he'd regain his consciousness again.

Then one of the men bowed down over one of the victims. We all tried to get a good look, which was difficult from where we were hiding. All of a sudden it hit me.

"The man has reanimated."

"What?" The women both eyed me.

"The man we just saw, chopped in half. He has reanimated."

"But he wasn't bitten," Michonne remarked, raising her eyebrow at me.

We saw how the man kneeled, sinking his knife deeply into the now walker's brain. I opened my mouth to explain the reanimation process to Michonne, but then the pet walkers started to become louder and more unsteady, drawing the attention of the men.

I bit my lip as I exchanged glances with the two women. Now what? It would be an impossible task to calm these two walkers down.

The dark-skinned woman quickly reached for her katana and beheaded her two chained walkers. Both of them fell to the ground, motionless. Just in time.

The men scanned the area, but there was nothing to be seen or heard anymore. "Let's roll up," one of the men said, putting away his gun. Andrea let out a relieved sigh, and even I cracked a small smile, but then Michonne reached for her katana again, giving me a mere heart attack.

"Uh uh uh, easy does it girl. Mine's a whole lot bigger than yours. Now, put down your weapons."

That voice. I had heard it before.

Michonne slowly put down her katana. "That's it, nice and easy. And let me see your hands, all of you."

We all raised our hands, afraid to make a single move.

"Now spin around. That's it. Nice little twirl around." The man seemed to be enjoying himself.

My heart was beating in my throat, terrified for who I would come face to face to.

"Oh, holy shit. Blondie! Damn, you're looking good." When I opened my eyes I saw Merle standing in front of us. A walker came up to him, but he didn't avert his eyes as he spoke to us. He grabbed the walker without taking his eyes off of us, and took the walker out with his bayonet-prosthetic hand. I was certain that was new.

The man smiled at Andrea, but she didn't smile back. She seemed to be completely in shock. "Now, how's about a big hug for your old pal Merle?" The man started laughing.

Andrea didn't respond. Instead she fell to the ground.

I had no idea where Merle had taken us. After Andrea had fainted he had called for the other men, and they had captured us, blindfolding us. We had been transported for a few hours and after arriving we had been separated from each other.

Merle hadn't seemed to recognize me, something I had been very happy about. It had become obvious to me, though, that Andrea and he were acquainted.

My head still hurt from the punch Merle had delivered to me. He had knocked me down on the back of my head as soon as Andrea had fainted. I could tell a bump had formed on my head, but I wasn't able to check it, as I was handcuffed in a room. Why was I handcuffed, anyway?

A doctor had come to check up on me, and had decided I was fine. No bite marks, no scratches, I was as healthy as I could possibly be in an apocalypse.

And now, now I was in a room that looked a lot like a prison cell. There was a bed, a toilet, and a sink. The only thing that was missing were the bars. It wasn't much, but it was better than the places I had stayed with Andrea and Michonne. I could only hope they were unharmed right now.

Suddenly a knock on the door was heard, and a female came in. I eyed her, still a little wary.

"He's ready to see you now."


	28. Chapter 28

**Decided to update a little sooner, because I really enjoyed writing this chapter.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

"So, Ben – Ben, right? – tell me more about yourself."

A man was sitting across from me, his seemingly friendly grey eyes affirmed on me, while his lips curled into a confident smile. His brown-greyish hair was combed into a sideward division, and he was clean-shaven, something I was longing for as I touched my own beard.

"Yes, Ben. And what do you want me to tell?"

He let out a short laugh, and looked up to the ceiling for a second before looking back to me. "Well, I'd like to know more about the individuals I let into my town. For all we know you could be some psychopath, who plans on murdering us in our sleep." I wasn't sure if he meant that as a joke or not.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this guy either, who had told me to refer to him as 'the Governor'. I hated people who flaunted their titles, though I doubted if he had ever been a real governor somewhere. I had never seen his face before, and I was quite interested in politics.

At least my shackles were taken off. My wrists were still sore from wearing them. I had been separated from Andrea and Michonne almost immediately, and I hadn't seen them since. I wondered why that was.

"I'm 29. Lived in the mountains my whole life. Used to work as a bartender for a good while - or is that not of importance anymore?" He smiled, motioning me to continue. "I met Andrea and Michonne a while back, and have been with them ever since."

"Were you with another group, before that?"

He curiously eyed me and I swallowed, uncertain about how to answer that.

"My house got invaded. Not long after that Andrea and Michonne took me in." That wasn't a complete lie. But it wasn't the complete truth, either. He nodded, seeming to be okay with that answer.

"And did you pursue any kind of non-platonic relationship with one of them? The blonde woman - I presume that's Andrea - perhaps?" He tapped his finger on his chin while my cheeks flushed deep red.

"What? No! That's ridiculous. We're just friends. Strangers with the same goal. Surviving." Andrea was an attractive woman, that much was certain, and in earlier days I would have definitely tried to woo her, but the memories of Demi and the way she had looked at me after everything had happened at that camp were still haunting me.

The Governor rose from the table and walked up to the window, gazing outside. "Anything else you'd like to share with me?"

"No. Can I go now?"

* * *

Woodbury was actually a nice little town. It wasn't big, I guessed it contained a number of 70 inhabitants or so, but it was lovely. It was one of those gated communities I had read so much about when I was younger.

The Governor had shown me around after our conversation, explaining a few things here and there. He had taken my weapons, as they wouldn't be needed here, something that still didn't feel right with me but I understood his point of view.

After that he had escorted me back to a new room, a place to stay for the night. As of this morning I had been free to explore this town whenever I wanted, so that was how I had spent my entire morning. I was surprised to see they even had a hairdresser.

The place was great, without a doubt. But this small voice inside of me told me this was too good to be true. I kept trying to shut it off, wanting to enjoy every bit of this safe haven, but it kept nagging in the back of my head.

To my pleasure I spotted Andrea and Merle a little further down the road. I hadn't seen the blonde ever since the Governor and his men had separated us for questioning. With a wide smile on my face I quickened my pace and walked up to them.

"How come we never hooked up?" I heard Merle ask Andrea, who rolled her eyes at him. "Because you called me a whore and a rug muncher." The man shot her a smug glance.

"Got a way with words, don't I?"

Andrea shook her head at Merle, and then noticed me. She smiled. "Hey Ben, how was your talk with the Governor?"

I returned her smile with a faint smile. Merle's eyes widened.

"Hey you, boy. How come you look so familiar to me... Were we locked up together once, or somethin'?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow, and I could only hope he wouldn't find out the real reason. Neither Michonne nor Andrea knew about my former group.

"I eh, no, I don't think so. Can I have a word with you, Andrea?" I quickly changed the topic. She frowned, but agreed.

"What was that about?" She asked me when we were out of hearing distance. "Were you and Merle acquainted in another life or something like that?" She sent me a questionable glance, but I just shrugged.

"What do you think of this place? And the Governor?" She softened a little and looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on us.

"Well, at first I was a bit wary of him, especially after he wouldn't let us leave, the other night." I nodded. That had also weirded me out. "But you must admit that what he did with this town is impressive. These people wouldn't have stood a choice without him."

"But... Don't you think this is all a bit too good to be true?" I asked her, which made her a little agitated.

"You know, you are just like Michonne," she snapped at me. "She actually wants to leave this place, can you imagine? Now that we're finally safe. We're finally off the road." She incredulously shook her head. "She just sits there, in our room, sulking all day."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Hey, I never said I wanted to leave, take it easy. I'm just scared this safety will be taken from us again, that is all."

She smiled apologetically and put her hand on my lower arm. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm still not really recovered from this cold. He found us just in time, you know. Without these doctors here I'd be a goner now."

I was silent for a few seconds, wondering why Michonne wanted to leave. This place really did seem like the place we had been searching for since the beginning of all this.

Still, something felt off. I couldn't really put my finger on it. Had my sobriety made me a little more paranoid? I decided it would be an idea to have a talk with Michonne about all this. Maybe we shared a gut feeling over this.

I sent Andrea a cooperative smile. "Yes, this place certainly saved us."

* * *

"Hey, Michonne."

I tried to sound as genuine as possible, but the woman didn't even acknowledge me. She was sitting on a knee-high brick wall, her head in her hands. I sat down next to her.

"What do you want?" Her voice sounded agitated.

"I heard Andrea and you had a fight."

She looked up and glanced at me, before she started studying the ground again. "Did she send you?" The coldness of her voice made me shiver.

"No, no, she didn't send me. Nobody did. I just wanted to see if you were alright."

She continued staring at her feet, and for a minute none of us spoke. I started to get a little uncomfortable.

"I don't trust that guy," she suddenly mumbled under her breath. "He's up to no good."

"How come?"

She finally faced me again, though her face still looked gruff. I quickly thought to myself how I had never seen her laugh before. "I've seen those National Guard trucks. Bullet holes all over the place. Those soldiers they've been looking for, they didn't die a walker death. Someone took an aim at them."

Something started dawning at me. "You think the Governor had something to do with it? But why?" The Governor had mentioned to us earlier that he had a searching party prepared to find the men the helicopter had belonged to. They had returned with the sad news those men had been fallen victim to walkers, and there were no survivors left. It was kinda absurd, thinking the Governor had anything to do with that. Why would he do that? He didn't come off as the most genuine or honest guy, but a murderer?

She hung her shoulders. "It's a gut feeling. This guy's hiding something. He's not to trust."

"I'm not sure why, but I feel the same way," I confirmed. She stared at me in surprise, but recovered from that right after. "Andrea does not seem to share the same belief," she muttered instead.

"Yeah, I know," I nodded. "I understand why she wants to stay, it's seemingly safe. It's almost too good to be true."

"It _is_ too good to be true. I'm telling you, this guy's hiding something. And I will find out what." The dark-skinned woman seemed more determined than ever. It scared me a little, and made me wonder what had happened to her in her past that made her react so wary to everyone. What if we were wrong, and the Governor actually _was_ as nice as he seemed?

Yet I was well aware of the strength of my gut feeling.

* * *

"Hey boy, can you light my cigarette for me? Kinda fuckin' hard with just one hand." I looked up and saw Merle standing in front of me, with an unlit cigarette in his left hand. I slowly exhaled the smoke from mine.

"Sure thing." I took his cigarette from him, lit it, and handed it back to him. One of the reasons why I did love Woodbury was because of the shitload of cigarettes available. An addiction I didn't hurt other people with. Not really, at least.

"Ahh, this is good stuff." He blew out the smoke and took another puff.

My lips curled into a tiny smile. "Yeah, I was so happy to find a smoke."

The man chuckled. "Too bad there ain't something more mind-blowing, huh?" I stared at him in confusion. "I can tell ye used to appreciate the good stuff too, boy. Addicts recognize addicts. They gotta sensor for this kind of shit. Ever tried meth?" He took another puff and laughed at me as my eyes widened, baring his yellow, damaged teeth. They indeed looked like the teeth of someone who used to enjoy a little more than just a smoke.

"I'm not like that."

Merle shrugged. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that, boy. Maybe someday ye'll believe it."

I took another puff from my cigarette. Suddenly it didn't taste as good as I remembered. Despite everything I still didn't really think of myself as an addict. Addicts were guys like Merle, not guys like me. Or was I?

My curiosity got the best of me. "How can you tell?"

The man gave me a smug smile. "So it is true, huh?" He took my blushing for a yes. "Been in this business for too long, kid. Learned a great deal about it in prison. Oh, sweet times..." His voice trailed off, still smiling.

"I haven't used anything in months, and I am still doing fine. That's hardly addict behavior, is it? So much for your theory," I boasted, half-heartedly. Merle finished his cigarette, putting it out with his foot.

"Yeah, well, guess the freakin' apocalypse was a blessin' for ye then, in a way. But still, ye ain't gon' fool Merle here. You and I both know what'd happen if someone offered ye a lil' somethin', right here, right now."

I watched as he walked away, leaving me puzzled.

* * *

 **I sense an unlikely friendship coming up...**


	29. Chapter 29

**So, the site was out for a couple of days, and when it was back in the air I was gone... But now we're both back. Thanks you for all of your kind reviews and PMs and favorites, I appreciate it. I will try to update as regularly as I can, but the next couple of weeks I am extremely busy.**

 **Anyway, let's see what Demi & co are up to...**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

After our talk Hannah and I had quickly bonded, becoming friends. I was surprised about how well we actually got along. The red-haired girl was sweet and intelligent. I was sure she would have made a great scientist, if only the apocalypse had not prevented that.

For a time we kept travelling from town to town, staying in a different house each night. It was something I couldn't easily get used to, even though it had gotten easier to ignore thoughts about the former inhabitants. We had kept my division of groups, as it was easier to maintain to sleep at different bedrooms at night.

I could tell my distant behavior hurt Victor, but I just didn't know how to address him, so I didn't. I spent lots of time with Hannah while Victor and Ryan grew a little closer over their love of pick-ups. The kids got along fine, though I was a little worried about Lizzie.

She had a weird fascination with the undead, and I wasn't sure if that was healthy. Of course, there were no studies published on the effects of having to deal with zombies that are trying to tear you apart and have you for lunch, but I couldn't imagine her behavior towards them being justified.

This one time she had ran straight into the arms of a walker, pretending to play tag with him. Victor was barely able to save her as the walker had grabbed her arm, trying to take a bite out of it. If it weren't for his sword the young girl would have certainly perished.

After that she realized more and more how dangerous these walkers were, but I still had an unsettling feeling about the whole situation. Lizzie was the kind of girl who could get us all killed some day, and that didn't sit well with me.

Ryan had voiced his concern to me, stating it would be best if we stopped travelling all the time and would just stay in one place. He was convinced it would be better for the children to not be confronted with undead creatures all the time. I wanted to agree with him, but I also wanted to keep searching for something steadier, like a camp.

If they were even still around.

* * *

One day we were staying at some kind of bar – or at least, it had been a bar once – when we got interrupted by unexpected visitors.

The children were sitting behind the bar, playing a game of cards, and Ryan and Victor were on a supply run to provide us with dinner for the night. That left Hannah and me to keep the place safe until he guys arrived back.

Hannah and I were sitting at a table, closely seated to the window. I looked around at the bar. For some reason the wooden interior reminded me of the bar where it had all started, the bar Olivia and I had run into Victor, right before the undead started to haunt us.

"So, have you figured out what to do with Victor, yet? I can tell it's upsetting him, the fact that you're avoiding him." The red-haired teenager tilted her head a little, waiting for my reply. I sighed.

"I know… And no, I don't know what to do. I mean, he's a great guy, but it feels like betraying Ben, you know? It is his best friend." She nodded, and sent me a wry glance.

"For your sake and ours Demi, maybe the both of you should talk this over. I can't bare seeing the guy this upset all the time."

Before I could respond to that, the bar door opened, and I jumped up from the table. My heart skipped a beat when I didn't see Victor's messy dark hair or hear Ryan's distinguishable snorting.

Instead I looked into the eyes of a complete stranger.

The man, who must have been somewhere in his thirties, opened his mouth, but no sound came out. A few seconds later a woman popped up, gasping at the sight of us.

"I thought you said the place was deserted," she shrieked, distraught.

"It was deserted this morning. I am positive." The man said after he had regained himself.

As soon as I could I reached for my gun, and as a reaction the man held his hands up in the air. "Woah, hey, don't shoot me! I haven't come here to harm you!" I eyed him up and down. The man's blue eyes were dim, and his face was hollow. He didn't look like the kind of guy who would storm in and overpower us.

Yet you could never be certain.

"I don't think they're gonna harm us, Demi," Hannah whispered. Still a little wary I put my gun away, but made sure I could still grab immediately it in case it was needed.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" I grunted, while gritting my teeth. Maybe they had just waited until Vic and Ryan would leave, so they could raid us. Or worse…

The man put his hands down, and slid his arm around the females' waist. "I am Richard, and this is my fiancée Eliza. We had cleared this place this morning with a couple of men, and had planned on staying here with our group. They are waiting at a place not far from here." I gave him a long stare, trying to determine whether or not he spoke the truth. It was true, there had been a number of dead walkers on the ground when we had entered the bar. We had buried them outside.

"So, let's say we believe you… Are you gonna chase us out, then?" I asked, still a little unsure about his intentions. The man smiled, and shook his head.

"No, why would I do that? The place is not mine."

Hannah and I exchanged a quick glance. "The question is; are you going to refrain us from entering?"

I frowned. "With how many are you?"

"Twelve in total. Four kids, eight adults." I looked around. The bar was big enough to contain nineteen people. And the more, the better. It would mean we'd be one large group, which was safer than just a small group.

"Hmm, I guess that could do. Bring 'em in."

* * *

Victor almost got a heart attack when he entered the bar again, only to see all these people. Ryan paled a little, frantically searching for his girls. They were playing tag with some of the other children, while Daniel was discussing something with Hannah.

"Demi? What's this?" Victor asked a little suspicious. "Who are all of these people?"

I sent him a smile. "They're okay, actually. It's a group of survivors who asked if it was okay to join us. I was wary at first, but they seem like good people."

Victor was still observing them. The adults were stocked at different tables, eating their supplies or just talking to each other. From his table Richard gave me a nod.

"Couldn't you have waited with making this decision until we were back?" His voice was unusually pitchy.

I shrugged. "Well, how would you have imagined that? 'Just wait outside, guys, I'm not sure if Victor approves'." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Where are they from, anyway?"

"Well, Richard and Eliza, the couple over there, they were actually on holiday here when the apocalypse happened," I started off, looking in their direction. "They're nice. And then there are the Wilsons, I believe they lived close to me, before. Those are their three children. There's the elderly couple, and there in the back we have the Gomez family, they joined last. They all had pretty impressive stories," I concluded my plea. Victor still didn't seem comfortable.

When he kept quiet I walked over to Richard and his fiancée. Victor hesitantly followed me and sat down next to me, at their table. He introduced himself and did his best to politely smile.

"So…" Victor tried to make conversation. "Are you planning on staying in this bar? Have you made any plans at all?"

The man bowed closer to Victor. "Well, there is this place around called Woodbury, not sure if you ever heard of it. Eliza and I were planning on checking it out, but not everyone in our group feels like joining us."

Victor frowned. "Woodbury? What's that exactly?" He looked back at me, but I had to admit I had never heard of the place before either.

"It's this safe haven, this sort of gated-community," Eliza chimed in. The dark-haired woman gave us a dazzling smile. I was pretty sure she had been a model or something, before all this. "People claim it's safe. Thing is, we're not sure where it is located. All I heard is that it's located a little to the East."

I had to let it sink all in for a minute. "So… A gated-community. A safe haven. And why are there members of your group that don't wanna join?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Because they have been disappointed before. We don't know if the place really exists. We have only heard about it from other survivors. Many of us are done with being disappointed. We came across three overrun camps already. Hope dies eventually." The woman smiled apologetically.

That made sense. I knew that Ryan and his daughters were pretty much done with travelling as well. It really broke them down. I wasn't sure if they could take another disappointment, especially Lizzie.

"Either way, we are planning on finding this Woodbury," Richard said. "Would you and your partner like to join?" I felt my cheeks color.

"He's not my partner," I quickly muttered, while Victor just stared down uncomfortably. "We're just friends. And that's something we'd have to discuss with our group members. We don't like to leave people behind just like that."

Richard relaxed a little. "Yeah, sure. You don't have to decide right way. Besides, I'd understand if you wouldn't want to come. We have just met, you barely know us. But if you're interested, we could go find this place together. The more, the merrier, of course."

His proposition kinda overtook me. Woodbury sounded like the sort of place we had been looking for this whole time, but were these people to be trusted? Did the place exist, or was this some kind of trap? I had to sleep on this.

* * *

The next morning I woke up in an unusual good mood. I had discussed Woodbury with Hannah and Daniel and they had both been enthusiastic. A safe haven was something we had all longed for.

I just had to discuss this with Ryan. He had already been asleep yesterday night, when I went looking for him, his girls both resting on his chest. The image of it had moved me. It made me wonder if they'd join us to Woodbury at all. I knew they were done with all of the travelling. Here they were safe, this town was seemingly deserted. It spared them another long trip to something we weren't even certain we'd find.

With a heavy heart I went on my way to go find the father of two. I found him in the back of the bar, rummaging through his backpack. "Hey Ryan, did you get a good sleep tonight?" After a few seconds he finally looked up to me, and sent me a weak smile.

"Oh, Demi. I just spoke to Victor. He told me about your plan to go find that place - Woodbury?"

My cheeks colored a little. That came as a surprise to me. "And, what do you say? Are you ready to get on the road again?" He resolutely shook his head.

"No, Demi, I'm sorry. Me and my girls, we have decided on staying here. I'm tired of putting myself out there, endangering my children. I understand why you want to go, and please just go, but we're staying." I smiled apologetically.

"We don't want to leave you and your girls behind, Ryan."

He put his hand up in the air. "Oh no Demi, we'll be fine here. I heard the others are also staying. We'll be with a solid group, and Mika and Lizzie will be among lots of other children."

"Are you completely sure you want to stay behind?" I asked, but the man quickly nodded.

"I'm already happy you took us in when you did. You guys are great people." I smiled once again, while my thoughts drifted off to the upcoming journey. I could only hope it would go well, and Woodbury would be the place we all hoped it to be.

But more than anything I hoped Ben would be there, safe and sound. The journey wouldn't prove to be easy, I knew that much, and I maybe wouldn't even have put our lives on the line like that with people we barely even knew if Ben was still around. But he wasn't, and my hope was set on finding him in Woodbury. I knew chances were slim, but with staying in one place we certainly wouldn't find him. He had to be somewhere, anywhere. He couldn't possibly be dead.

The thought of his demise was just too much for me to bear.

* * *

 **Will Demi and the others find Woodbury? And more importantly, will Ben still be there? Will they reunite again, like ever? Who knows?**

 **Well, I do, obviously. But I'm not telling. Just remember; I like to complicate things.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Woah, thank you guys, and new readers! My stats have never been this high. It really amazes me. I will update again on Thursday, after that I am abroad for a couple of days. But when I return I will finally have time to write again and finish this story.**

 **Oh, and yeah, Demi is not so good at talking things over. All of my characters are flawed, in a way. They are not heroes, and they can be incredibly oblivious and stupid sometimes. But their hearts are in the right place. Let's just hope that's enough, in a zombie apocalypse...**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

I was actually excited for the party today.

The Governor had decided on hosting a party, to welcome the newcomers and celebrate the place Woodbury had become. There was going to be food and drinks. It was almost like the apocalypse had never happened, and it felt like I had my old life back.

One thing I was sure about was that I wasn't going to drink. I'd prove Merle wrong. I would be able to reject a drink, I hadn't had one in months. That had to stand for something, right?

"All right! First time we gathered, there was nine of us holed up in an apartment with spam and saltine crackers. Well, look at us now. We've built a place we can call home. May be held together with duct tape and string, but it works. It's ours. I'll take it. So today we celebrate how far we've come. We remember those we've lost. We raise a glass... to us."

People around us were cheering. Next to me I saw Andrea, eyeing the Governor in awe. I wondered if something was going on between the two of them.

Nah, I brushed it off. Andrea wouldn't just fall for the first guy we'd run into.

I looked around and scanned the area, looking for Michonne. Where was she? I was still wary of the Governor too, and I found his speech to be a little sentimental, but I thought showing up for it would only show my goodwill regarding all of this.

"Have you seen Michonne anywhere?"

Andrea eyed me up and down, a wry look on her face. "What, you guys are friends now?"

I was quick to shake my head in denial. "No. I just wondered why she's not here."

The blonde woman let out a sigh as she watched the Governor leave the scene. "Michonne's not exactly the party-goer kind of type. She hates this place. I wish she'd just be happy, you know," the woman gave me a tired look. "Happy that we're safe, for once."

I didn't really know how to respond to that. Andrea excused herself and went to chat with another guy, while I walked around a bit, mingling with the other survivors that inhabited Woodbury.

It was hard to ignore the drinks, especially when people kept offering me.

But I refused to give in.

Maybe Demi had been right, earlier. And Merle as well. Maybe I really did struggle to stay sober. I still remembered the first time I had gotten drunk. I was 14, and I had just been in a fight with my father for wanting to drop out of high school. He had been furious with me.

I had been too young to even be allowed in that bar, but my buddy Mike had known to turn things around, and had provided me with my first drink. And my second, third, fourth. I didn't even remember how I had gotten home that night, but somehow I had. What I did remember was the nice feeling it had given me, as if all my problems disappeared, even if it was just for a little while. I had found my solution to the depressive episodes I was suffering from.

Of course, it went from bad to worse after that. I somehow managed to graduate high school, but after that I went all out. To be honest, that whole period was one black hole in my memory. I barely remembered it at all.

Things got a little better around my 18th year, but then that horrible accident with my parents happened, and I had sunken back into a huge depression. Thinking about that still made me a little nauseous.

Yes, the past 15 years had been bad, to say the least. But now I had been sober for months, and I was determined on staying sober. That day Olivia died was the last time I ever drank, and that was final.

I gritted my teeth. I may had lost Demi and the others, but I wasn't going to lose myself. Never again.

* * *

My attention got drawn when I spotted Michonne making her way to the crowd, back to her room. She looked tense and frustrated. Now that was nothing new, but she looked even more on edge than usual. She also carried her katana with her. Hadn't the Governor taken that from her?

I quickly paced up to her, but it was hard to keep up with her.

"Hey Michonne, slow down! What's going on?"

Finally she stopped walking and turned around to face me. "We have to get out of here."

I gaped at her. "What? Why?"

She started walking again, and I followed her, all the way to her front door. "This place," she started, clearly distraught. "It is not safe. The Governor keeps walkers in Woodbury."

"I… What? Walkers? Why? How?" I stumbled over my words, still gawking at her. "Why would he keep walkers?"

The dark-skinned woman didn't answer that. "We have to escape tonight, when it's dark."

My mind was still blown by the walkers-in-Woodbury part. "Wait, escape? Can't we just leave? What did Andrea say?"

Michonne opened her front door, but turned to me one last time. The look in her eyes was so serious, it made me swallow. "We got to go."

She left me there, on her door step, not knowing what was going on. I looked around, but I didn't spot Andrea or the Governor anywhere. What Michonne had just said didn't make any sense. I also had a weird gut feeling about that man, but keeping walkers, inside of Woodbury? That didn't make any sense to me. There was no way he'd jeopardize us like that.

I decided on having a discussion with Andrea later today. Maybe she'd know what was going on with Michonne, and Woodbury.

* * *

A few hours later, after the barbecue where I had missed both Andrea and Michonne, but had enjoyed some steak with Merle, I saw both of the women walk towards the gate. Merle sped up to them, striking up a conversation. I couldn't quite overhear it from where I was sitting, but all of a sudden the gate opened.

I ran up to them. "Girls! Where are you going?"

"Out," Michonne spit out the words.

"Don't do this. Don't give me an ultimatum. Not after everything," Andrea begged the woman in a desperate manner, but she looked right through her with a stern look on her face.

"Are you honestly leaving, Michonne? Why?" I scratched my head. The woman seemed to have lost it now. The sun was going to set soon. Why leave now?

"Are you coming or not?" She asked the question with gritted teeth. First she eyed Andrea, and then me. Andrea and I exchanged a worried glance, as neither one of us spoke.

"You two would just slow me down anyway," she hissed, before walking through the gate, leaving us behind.

"Michonne!" Andrea called out, but she kept walking, and Merle firmly closed the gate behind her.

*  
"I can't believe we lost Michonne," Andrea mourned the absence of our friend as we walked back to the festivities. I awkwardly patted her back. "It was her own decision."

She sent me a weak smile. "I know."

"She did mention something about walkers being kept in Woodbury, do you know more about that?" I questioned her, and her face paled a little.

"Well… The Governor did mention something about that. Said he had his reason." I gaped at her, not sure what to say.

"So it's true?"

The blonde shrugged and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I guess."

I let out an indignant sigh. "But that's crazy. Why would he do that?" Now she turned to me, looking agitated. "Are you starting too, now? He said he has his reason. Can't you just believe that for once, or did Michonne poison you with her ridiculous ideas?"

I defensively put my hands up in the air. "What's up with you, Andrea? Why do you keep defending this guy? Maybe we should look at this with an objective eye, instead of choosing sides. And to be honest, keeping walkers in a gated community is kinda pretty darn stupid."

She rolled her eyes at me as we entered the arena, and waved at the Governor who was already seated in the back. "Just enjoy yourself for once, okay? Find a girl or something, blow off some steam."

I stared at her with an open mouth, but followed her to the Governor anyway. I felt a little uncomfortable, sitting there with the Governor and his followers, not knowing what was about to come.

But then the cheering intensified, and several spots showed us a fighting arena, and chained walkers. I put my hand over my mouth as Andrea gasped. Chained walkers… What were they going to do with that?

I saw Merle and another guy coming up, encouraging the crowd to cheer harder. I could tell Andrea was as shocked as I was about this. Merle and the other guy started fighting, trying not to get torn in half by the walkers that were reaching for them. This was sick. Who had come up with this shit?

Andrea tried to storm off, but the Governor grabbed her arm. "Hey, where are you going?" He asked, with a confused look on his face.

"What the hell is this?" Andrea spit out.

"It's just to blow off steam," the man laughed, shrugging.

"To blow off steam?" Her face looked angry. I started to get a little worried. "You go for a jog to blow off steam. This is… This is sick!"

"Look around," the Governor tried to calm her down. "Everyone's having a great time."

"It's barbaric," she snorted, crossing her arms. The Governor pulled her down, whispering something to her that I wasn't able to hear because of the cheering and screaming. It took the Governor quite some words, but I saw how Andrea started to relax more.

Suddenly I saw where this was going. If the Governor was able to convince Andrea that bringing walkers into Woodbury wasn't a wicked thing to do, something had to be wrong. I had noticed his interest in her a couple times before, but now I noticed how it wasn't one-sided.

Andrea was charmed by the man.

He had somehow won her over. Now that Michonne was gone and Andrea was in awe with the Governor, I felt like I was on my own again. On my own in a community that kept walkers hidden. What more would they keep inside these walls?

Slowly I started to wonder if Michonne's words had been making sense after all.


	31. Chapter 31

**So, last chapter before I go! This one was a quicky, so excuse me if there are errors in it! And please pray for me, I might have a job, next time I update :)**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: You can have mine, hehe.**

 **HellaChloe: Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that... We all know Merle is an ass, and Ben, well, he is not known for his intelligence.**

* * *

It was already late at night when I noticed a group of men standing next to the perimeter gate. I couldn't sleep, so I had decided to go for a stroll. I had done it times before, as it helped in clearing my mind. Normally there weren't many people outside at this hour, aside from the people keeping watch at the gate, so I barely ever encountered anyone.

That made the sighting of the group of men next to the gate even odder. What were they doing there?

I decided to find out, but in order to do so I had to make sure they would not spot me. For some reason no one seemed to guard the gate right now, something that also struck me as weird. I pressed my body against the stone wall, and from there I tried to move closer to the group of men. One of them was Merle, judging by the weapon for a hand. When I came closer I noticed the Governor was there, too. Why were they holding some sort of meeting in the middle of the night?

"And remember, men: alive or dead," one of the voices spoke in a condescending manner. I scratched my head. Was that the Governor's voice? Was he deciding on finding some new walkers for the arena fights? That didn't make any sense, though. What, or who, was this about?

One of the men grinned. "Aye aye, sir. We'll find that bitch."

"Yeah, ye can leave that to us." That was Merle. "We'll have a nice chat with that Namibian queen."

My eyes widened. What?

"Make sure nobody sees you," the Governor inclined, keeping his voice down. The men exchanged some more words and then the group left through the gate. The Governor made sure it was shut again.

I crouched down to the bushes as he walked on by, and quietly released my breath when he didn't see me. I gazed at him until he disappeared from view, but didn't leave the bushes right away. A bit dazed I sat down. If I understood correctly, the Governor had just sent out men to hunt down Michonne. The dark-skinned woman had been right, something wasn't right here.

I knew what I had to do.

* * *

"Andrea, we need to talk."

The blonde was busy doing laundry, but took a second to look up and smile at me, before continuing. "What is it? You finally found a girl you like? The Governor told me there was this towns girl, I forgot her name, who had her eyes on you. You charmer!" She playfully stomped my arm, but my facial expression continued to be serious.

"It's about the Governor." Her face fell.

"What about him?"

I cleared my throat. "He sent men after Michonne."

Her eyes widened, but then she just shrugged. "To make sure she's safe, you mean? That's considerate of him. Especially after how she treated him, and her stay here."

Quickly I shook my head. "No, not to keep her safe. I'd say it's quite the opposite." With a bang she put the basket down. "Ben, you're being ridiculous. What makes you think he would want to hurt Michonne? Did her paranoid behavior hit you up now?"

I let out a sigh. "She wasn't being paranoid. I heard them discuss it with my own ears. Last night, while I was out on a stroll. He ordered his men to find her, alive or dead." She tuck a string of hair behind her ear, her face still incredulous.

"What? I don't believe you." I could see a small fragment of doubt in her eyes, though. "What were you doing out at night anyway?"

"I eh, I couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts inside my head. I found out taking a stroll helps."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Is warm milk and honey too mainstream for you? A shot of vodka?" I cracked a small smile.

"I don't drink anymore." She curiously eyed me.

"Why not?"

"I, eh, well, that's not important, really." The blonde narrowed her eyes at me. "You know what? You're just like Michonne, with your paranoid behavior, and your secrets. I told you all about my former group, and what happened, but neither one of you told me anything about yours. Why are you being so secretive, Ben? What have you got to hide?"

I could feel my cheeks color. She was right though, I had barely disclosed anything with them about my past, or my former group. I was too ashamed to share that with them.

When I didn't respond she just sighed. "I am done with these secrets. I guess that's why the Governor and I get along so well. At least he opens up to me. He said I was a perfect match for Woodbury." Her eyes became a little dreamy, and suddenly I knew what was up.

"You like this guy?" I asked, incredulous. Her blush told me enough.

"He's actually a good man. And I'm sure there's a good explanation to what you have heard."

Slowly I raised my eyebrow. This was never going to work. Andrea was never going to believe me.

"You know what? Never mind. You go live your dream life in Woodbury, with that creep. I know what I'm gonna do." And with those words I left the room, slamming the door behind me.

It was still early in the morning, and there was only one guard at the wall right now. I feverishly started thinking. I had to get out of here without anyone seeing me. I wasn't keen on having a search party on my ass. Of course, they'd send one as soon as they found out I was missing, but by then I'd be far gone.

Suddenly I was struck with an idea.

"Hey Haley!" I shouted to the girl who was keeping watch on the wall. She averted her eyes from the gate and looked down on me. First she blushed, but then she waved back. Haley was a slender girl with dark brown hair and even darker eyes, and some years younger than me. And I was well aware she had a crush on me.

I climbed up to her and sent her one of my most charming smiles. "Merle requested to see you."

She eyed me curiously. "Really? Why?"

I shrugged. "He didn't say." She lowered her weapon. "I can keep watch for you in the meantime," I offered her, and took the gun from her.

"Well, if you say so. Where can I find him?" That question surprised me a little.

"Eh... I think he's at the arena. You know, where they kept the fights last night." I wasn't sure if she had been there last night, but the arena was on the other side of Woodbury, which would give me enough time to flee the scene.

"Oh, yeah," the dark-haired girl remembered. "It was fun. Maybe eh," she added, heavily blushing, "we can go watch the fights together some time?" I sent her a small smile. "Sure, fine by me. But you better get going now. Merle isn't the most patient guy in the world. And just imagine what would happen, if he'd slam his weapon fist against the wall..." The girl paled a little, and I tried my best not to smirk.

"You're right. Thanks!" And she climbed down, on her way to a man that wasn't even in Woodbury to begin with. As far as I knew, they had not yet returned. That made my idea even more dangerous. Being on my own, in this world, trying not to get noticed by Merle and his men...

But I had to do the right thing, for once. I had to leave this place and go find Michonne.

With a swift move I jumped down on the other side of the wall. I had decided on keeping Haley's weapon, so I wasn't unprepared against these monsters. I still had my knife, too. I quickly scanned the area and decided to make a run for it. I had to get out of here, as soon as I could.

I had to find Michonne.

* * *

Searching these woods wasn't the easiest task I had ever committed to. I couldn't remember ever being here before. All I knew was that it was far from where I grew up. No mountains here.

The walkers seemed to have multiplied around here. I had already encountered dozens of them. Up until now I had managed to terminate them all, but I started to become tired. There was no trace of Michonne or the men anywhere, and I started to become a little desperate. Had this been a good idea? I had no idea where to look for her, and felt like I was just wandering around a little. What was I gonna do when the night would fall?

I didn't have much time to think about that, because all of a sudden I stumbled upon a body. A man, shot in the head. Upon inspection I discovered it was one of the Governor's men. I tried to remember what his name was, but failed.

Had Michonne shot him? I knew she had her katana with her when she left, but a gun? As far as I knew, she didn't believe in guns. Did that mean there was another group around here, one that could pose a threat as well? A knot started forming in my stomach. I wasn't ready for this.

Suddenly a hand yanked my arm and I stared right into the rotten eyesockets of a walker. He started clacking his teeth at me, and another one pushed us to the ground. I tried stomping the latter one, trying to get the creature off of me, but the both of them were just too heavy. The smell that came from their mouths was horrendous and made me gag. I wasn't ready to die like this, not like this.

But then, just like that, their heads were gone in the blink of an eye. I witnessed the blade of a katana coming through. With a heavy sigh I let my head bump to the ground and closed my eyes, exhausted from keeping off the walkers.

When I opened them again, I at first got the scare of my life. The woman in front of me was covered in blood and guts. "Michonne...?" I cried out.

She put her katana back in the holder. "What are you doing here?" She hissed at me.

I pushed the corpses off of me and rose from the ground, still a little dizzy. Luckily there were no scratches on my arms from the walkers grasp. I had been smart enough to wear a jacket today.

"I was trying to find you, wanting to help you" I muttered. "Merle and the Governor's men are after you. They are instructed to kill you."

Her eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I need your help, boy?"

I opened my mouth, but then closed it again. Why had I decided on saving her, anyway? It wasn't like she was some helpless chick in need or anything.

"Besides, took a few of 'em out already," she continued, still sounding gruff.

I quickly nodded, thankful that she continued the conversation. "Yes, I found one, shot. Didn't know you carried a gun with you." She raised her eyebrow at me.

"I don't." That statement caused me to stare back at her.

"Then who shot the guy?"

All of a sudden I noticed blood coming out of Michonne's thigh. "You're bleeding!" I called out, distraught. "You're hurt."

She just shrugged. "I'm fine." She didn't look fine, though. Her face expressed that she was in pain, as she gritted her teeth.

"No, you're not. Let's find us a medical store or something. We need to treat this, get you patched up. I didn't come all this way to let you die now."

* * *

 **See you in less than a week guys!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank you for the support guys! I can tell you all I will be moving to another country in a few weeks, I have a job! A real, fulltime job. A little earlier than expected, but I'm not complaining. I get to live my dream!**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

I wasn't sure what to expect of this so-called Woodbury. To be honest, I had never been in a gated community before, and I couldn't quite imagine what it would be like. The country I came from didn't know the concept of gated communities, and in the mountains they most likely never even heard of it.

They sure came in handy now, in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.

I also wasn't sure where we were anymore. The mountains started to disappear out of sight. The mountains, the beautiful and majestic mountains. I had not expected I'd ever leave them again, and yet here I was.

Richard and Eliza were both nice people, but I started to wonder how they had made it in the apocalypse so far. The raven-haired woman was terrified for the walkers, something I could surely understand, but she refused to take an aim at them. Every time we encountered one she just started screaming like there was no tomorrow.

And if she kept that up, there sure wouldn't be one.

Richard just left handling the walkers to us. He didn't have a weapon to defend himself with to begin with. Victor had handed him a knife, but so far he had never even come close to using it. It had started to annoy me a little.

"Demi! Watch out! There's another one!" The woman shrieked once again. My eyes were already affirmed on the approaching female walker to begin with. I didn't entirely understand why Eliza thought I'd miss it.

I yanked the walker's hair, pulling her down, and drove my knife through her eye socket. I wondered how many of them I had killed by now. It must have been a lot, though.

"That's gross!" Eliza cried out, her eyes filled with disgust.

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Trust me, a walker biting me would've given a lot more mess than this."

"Guys, it's getting dark. Let's find a place where we can stay for the night," Victor summoned us, looking around. It was as if the closer we came to a potential Woodbury, the more walkers spawned. This place certainly was walker-infested.

"Well, where do we go?" Richard asked the dark-haired man. "There's no house around here. No place to stay."

Vic and I exchanged a quick glance. "That's true. That only means we have to sleep in a secured barn or so. It's better than out in the open."

They both stared at us with an open mouth. "A barn?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Did you have a better idea?" The man shook his head, while the woman just stared at us.

"Well, a barn it is then. Better keep your eyes open."

* * *

Luckily for the couple – and for us – we came across a seemingly abandoned school building. _Redford high school_ , it read. The place looked a little haunting, with broken windows and torn curtains. It was a U-shaped building, consisting of a left and a right wing.

"Should we go in?" Hannah quivered, pulling Daniel closer to her.

Victor studied the building a little closer. "Well, it's either this or keep on walking. And I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty tired."

"I'm with Victor," Richard chimed in. His fiancée just looked at us with a worried look on her face. "How do we know they're not inside?"

"We don't," Victor responded a little gruff. "But we're about to find out." Victor got the sword from his backpack, taking a fighting stance. Hannah and I drew our knives. Even Daniel got the Swiss knife out of his pocket. Eliza started to panic.

"Sweetie, just stay close to me, nothing will happen to you, promise," Richard tried to comfort her, taking her hand. She swallowed her tears away.

"Well, okay."

Victor shot me a mutual irritated look, before he slowly opened the front door of the school. The sun was already setting, darkening the place, but luckily Victor had brought a working flashlight.

At least, it was supposed to work.

Vic pushed its button a few times, but nothing happened. "Damnit!" He exclaimed, frustrated. "It must've died. Alright then, that means we just have to trust our intuition."

Hannah slowly exhaled. "Let's split up. Demi, you go investigate the left side of the building with Richard and Eliza, while Victor, Daniel and I go through the right. That way we will be able to cover for all the walkers in the building. If there are any, of course," she added when she saw Eliza's worried face.

I sighed as I summoned Richard to get a hold of his knife. "You have to back me up here." The man nodded, but I could still see the uncertainty in his eyes. I dared to bet the man had never taken out a walker in his life. I handed Eliza my baseball bat. "And this one's for you. If you see one, doesn't matter how scared you are, just take a swing at it, okay?"

She paled a little, but didn't protest.

We all moved through the large hall, and the scent that entered my nose brought it to my attention that something was indeed rotting here. That could only mean walkers weren't far away.

Richard, Eliza and I took a left while the others went right. In the distant I believed to hear grunting, but I wasn't entirely sure. Maybe we would be lucky for once, and other trespassers had taken care of it already.

So much for that thought.

We hadn't even crossed the corner of the hallway when I saw eyes flicker. I got a firmer grip on my knife and approached the first one, stabbing it in the eye and thus taking it out. Behind me I heard Eliza shriek, but there was no time to respond to that as the second and third walker set their sights on me, drawing the attention of more of them.

Somehow I managed to take them all out. I had to admit to myself I had gotten quite good at killing walkers, something I would have never been able to imagine at the start of this. I always used to be like Eliza, a scared little girl, afraid for the big bad world.

How different were things now?

Out of the corners of my eye I did notice, however, that Richard had taken one down as well. A little perplexed he stared at his hands, seemingly not able to believe a walker had perished by his hands. A small smile broke through on his face.

Finally, I thought to myself. Finally he was stepping up his game.

"Baby, watch out!" I heard Eliza's voice calling, frantically.

I was ready to turn around and tell her there was no reason to panic, that I had taken care of it, when I saw a lost walker grabbing a surprised Richard's arm and sunk its teeth into it. The icy squeal he let out was terrifying.

A little too late Eliza started beating the walker with the baseball bat, until it was on the ground and stopped moving. Blood splatters framed her shocked face.

"Oh God, oh God," the man stammered, trying to stop the bleeding. However, I knew that was no use. The guy would die, sooner or later. Rather sooner than later, judging by the loss of blood.

The consternation had drawn the attention of Hannah and the others. With big eyes her little brother stared at Richard, who was sitting on the ground now, letting out cries as his fiancée sobbed uncontrollably.

"What happened here?" Victor's eyes searched for mine.

"I was certain I had cleared the area. This one must have been hidden somewhere. He came out of nowhere," I said under my breath.

Victor ran both of his hands through his hair, looking despaired. I hated seeing him like that.

"Now what do we do?"

* * *

"Maybe it's not that bad. Maybe he can still recover." Eliza's voice sounded hopeful, and her dark brown eyes tried to display the same emotion, but failed.

It was in the middle of the night. Victor and Hannah had cleared one of the classrooms and barricaded the door. Richard was laid to rest at one of the tables. He was experiencing a fever now, and started to become rather delirious.

We all knew it was pointless, but Eliza did not.

"Maybe he's an exception. There must be exceptions, right? He can't die like that." Her eyes filled with tears again, something we had been witnessing the whole night now. Not once had she left his side.

"I'm sorry, Eliza," Victor placed his hand on her arm. "Nobody survives a bite."

We had stumbled upon a bitten survivor, back when we were still travelling with Ryan and his girls. We had witnessed the transformation. The fever, becoming delirious. Needless to say, that man had not made it through the night. And Richard wasn't, either. It could never be long, now.

Daniel sat down against the wall, on the other side of the classroom, hugging his knees. I decided to see how he was doing.

"Room for one more?" I smiled at him, and he shrugged as I sat down.

We sat like that for a short while, witnessing the others trying to talk sense into the dark-haired woman, while the man got quieter and quieter.

"He's going to die, isn't he?" The boy's weak voice pierced my thoughts. Slowly I nodded.

"He is."

The boy stared at the ground. "We're all going to die." Making it sound more of statement than a question.

I slid my around his shoulder, not knowing how to reply to that. He was right, I couldn't deny it. We'd all die, eventually. None of us was going to come out of this apocalypse alive. We had already lost some of us on the way, and I realized there was more to come.

"And Ben, he's dead too, isn't he?" I drew him a little closer to me.

"I don't know, Dan. I'm so sorry he took off. It was my fault."

The boy rested his head against my shoulder. "That's not your fault, Demi."

"I'd do anything to have him back," I said, a little choked up. "Safe and sound with us. Anything."

He looked up to me, and sent me a small smile. "I know."

Suddenly Eliza's cries became louder, breaking our little moment. I quickly jumped up, as did Daniel, and walked up over them. Eliza was crying in Richard's shoulder now.

"What happened?" I whispered to Victor, who looked tense.

"He passed away."

A little cautious I stared down at the once so lovely couple. Richard indeed lay there, motionless. His chest had stopped moving, and he was no longer breathing or showing any signs of life.

For now.

"I can't do this without you, Rich!" Eliza frantically cried, not wanting to let go of him. "Please come back to me. Please. We were gonna be a team, you promised." I swallowed as I watched her grieve. I could only imagine what she was going through right now, losing your fiancé like that. And the worst was yet to come.

"Eliza, I'm truly sorry, but you have to let go of him right now," Victor came up to her, looking apologetic. "We have to prevent him from turning."

Her eyes widened.

"Prevent him from turning how?" She eyed us suspiciously through her tears.

"Eliza," Hannah tried to come to Vic's aid. "If we don't prevent him from turning, he will be a danger to us all. He will try to kill you, kill us."

With a sudden move she grabbed a nearby knife from a table and pointed it in our direction, causing Hannah to gasp and Victor raise his hands. "Don't even think about touching him."

Hannah and I exchanged a quick glance as Victor tried to reason with her. "Please, Eliza. I don't want anything to happen to you." He tried to come closer, but she immediately raised her knife again.

"Stay back! Don't come closer!" The dark-haired man set a step back again, clearly helpless.

The situation was nerve wrecking. We weren't able to reason with the grief-stricken woman, and every time one of wanted to approach her she just pulled the knife at us, swearing to take us out if we'd come any closer. None of us wanted to hurt her, but time was running out. Time was ticking away like a time bomb.

One that was about to explode when I noticed Richard, or something that used to be Richard once, opening his eyes.

* * *

 **This can never go right, can it?**


	33. Chapter 33

**Thank you guys, for all the love and reviews! Eliza annoyed the shit out of me too, that's why I enjoyed writing her. And well, as y'all can guess, she will not be around for much longer...**

 **As for the future of this story: since I will be moving to another country in like a week, I decided to end this story a little earlier than expected. Right now it will have a total of 42 chapters, so the end is near. I did not expect to find a job so soon, I had initially planned on making this last a little longer. I have written out the plotline now, and I hope I will finish it before I leave but I'm afraid I'm not gonna make that. We will see how it goes for now, but just know this is a near-completed story, so I won't leave you guys hanging, promise.**

 **Anyway, let's see what Ben and Michonne are up to!**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

"Follow me."

"To where?" I raised my eyebrow, and the dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes at me. She had told me earlier that we were gonna need a car to get to the quickest medical store, where we could band aid her wound. She probably knew the way around here better than I did, so I did as she asked.

I was surprised when we found ourselves in the midst of a parking area, with dozens of cars. I started smiling. This was perfect. One of them had to still work.

"Do you think there are any supplies left in that store over there?" I pointed to the accompanying buildings. It looked like a small shopping complex. Or well, once it probably did. Now it was just deserted. "I'm getting pretty hungry, I don't know about you."

Slowly I approached it, only to find that the front door was chained. Bummer.

All of a sudden the sound of a rearing engine became louder. Apparently we hadn't been the only ones scavenging this area. Michonne motioned me to crouch down behind a car, and I did.

My heart skipped a beat. What if that was Merle and his men, trying to find us?

A red van parked on the middle of the road. I guessed parking spaces didn't really matter anyway, anymore. The doors opened, and a man and a woman stepped out. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but all of a sudden they started kissing. A little uncomfortable I looked away.

With my own eyes I witnessed them walking up to the door of the complex, next to the parking area. It was still locked, but the man got a giant pair of pliers out of the car and broke the chain that refrained them from entering the place. The bats coming out of there frightened me as much as it did them, but the man entered the building anyway. The woman stayed behind, keeping watch.

I eyed Michonne, but she motioned me to sit still and wait. I knew she was expecting some kind of ambush. She was probably the most paranoid woman I had ever met, I concluded with a sigh. All I wanted was to approach the female, maybe trying to team up with them. They looked friendly enough, maybe they were willing to help us out. Instead I just stayed put.

It took a while before the man came out again, but when he did, he was carrying a red basket full of groceries. "We just hit the powdered baby formula jackpot…"

"Oh, thank God," the woman sighed relieved. He showed her the content of the basket, something she was happy about, and they made themselves ready to leave.

"I like the quiet." The girl smiled. "Back there, back home, you can always hear them outside the fence no matter where you are." I started to wonder where they were located. Somewhere with a fence? It sounded like a perfect place to me. I didn't have much time to think about it, though.

"And where is it y'all good people call home?" A voice echoed through the parking area.

Merle came out of nowhere, pointing his gun at the both of them. Michonne and I both gasped in shock.

The Asian and the brunette immediately pointed their guns back at him. "Merle?" The Asian sounded incredulous. Michonne and I exchanged a glance. This guy knew Merle?

The one-handed man put his gun down and raised his hands in the air, laughing. It was obvious they were acquainted, somehow.

He tried to come closer, something the brunette didn't exactly welcome. "Hey, back the hell up!" She sure was fiery.

"Okay, okay, honey," the man slowed down, still laughing.

"You made it," the boy said in disbelief. I saw Michonne frowning at them, clearly as confused as I was.

"Can you tell me, is my brother alive?" Merle asked the Asian boy.

"Yeah."

Merle seemed relieved by that information. "Hey, you take me to him and I'll call it even on everything that happened up there on that roof. No hard feelings. Huh?"

Suddenly I started to feel a little nervous. Something was off about this. Merle didn't seem the type of guy who'd just surrender like that.

The girlfriend still had her gun pointed at him, not trusting him. I couldn't exactly blame her.

We'll tell Daryl you're here and he'll come out to meet you," the boy responded a little nervous. A little consternation came of that. From what I could see Merle was trying to convince the couple to drive him to his brother, something they weren't so keen on doing.

Then everything just happened so fast. Merle got a hidden gun out of his pockets and fired a few shots, one of which pierced the back window from the car.

Before anyone had time to respond to Merle, the man had already his gun pointed to the brunettes' head, holding her in stranglehold.

"Let go of her. Let go of her!" The Asian boy shouted to the one-handed man.

Michonne monitored every move they made, gritting her teeth. "Shouldn't we help them?" I whispered, a bit fearfully. Slowly she shook her head.

"Put it in the car, son," Merle instructed the guy, who put down his gun and raised his hands. "There you go. Now we're gonna go for a little drive."

He shook his head. "We're not going back to our camp."

"No, we're going somewhere else. Get in the car, Glenn! You're driving!" Merle started to sound angrier now, and little drops of sweat ran down my forehead.

Finally the guy gave in, entering the car, as Merle and his hostage did the same. Michonne and I both watched them driving off, leaving the red basket behind.

Michonne let out a painful sigh. I had almost forgotten about her leg.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a worried voice, but her eyes were set on the basket. Slowly she limped up to it. I carefully followed her, scared Merle would somehow spot us and come back to kill us.

"Baby formula." She concluded, after inspection. "They must've had a baby." I shivered.

"And now what do we do?"

* * *

It didn't take long before we saw the contours of a prison looming up in the distance. I started to wonder how we had missed it in the first place, it was pretty prominent.

Michonne had covered me in walker guts earlier, so the walkers would pass us by. I was grossed out by the thought of it, and even more by smearing it on myself, but it seemed to work. None of the walkers took an aim on us. It felt horrible to be so close to them. I felt like they could take a bite out of us any minute now, but they didn't.

This whole way to that prison Michonne and I didn't speak. Back at the parking area we had deduced these people must've come from a prison, and according to the dark-skinned woman, this was the only prison around.

I was a little scared, not knowing what to expect of that we were about to encounter. What if the place was populated, and these people were like Merle, and the Governor? What if they'd harm us? No, this whole idea of visiting this prison didn't sit well with me. I wondered why it was such a big deal to Michonne to find this possible baby. Even if we'd find that baby, carrying a baby with us in times like these would just be too much of a risk. Even I knew that.

The fence of the prison was swarmed with walkers. I could feel myself sweating again, nervous about how to approach. I knew we had to, though, Michonne was close to collapsing due to her blood loss. It was a sticky situation we were in, and I didn't know what to do.

Dozens of walkers were clinging to the fence, not paying any attention to us. As we came closer, I saw a man, looking in our direction. He put his hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun, peering at us. As he came closer he pulled out his gun. For a second I was terrified; he wouldn't regard us as walkers, would he? But then I saw the look in his eyes shifting.

As much as I wanted to yell at the man to let us in, I knew I was in no position to blow my cover.

However, it seemed like it was too late for that anyway. One of the walkers started snooping up Michonne, and with him, more started to turn on us, figuring out our disguise. I pulled out Haley's gun that I had retrieved earlier, and the woman got out her katana. Together we finished a few, but Michonne's weakened state got the best of her, and she collapsed. I tried to get to her, but I ended up getting swarmed myself. Things didn't look too good.

Suddenly I heard shots getting fired, and I looked to my right. A small boy, looking a little like Daniel, shot some of the walkers surrounding us.

The man and the boy both opened the gate of the prison and came out to assist us, much to my relief. I was hungry and weakened, and still not much of a gunman.

"Please help her," I called out to the man. "She's hurt!"

"Is she bit?" He shouted back, but I quickly shook my head.

"Gunshot."

The man lifted her off the ground and swung her over his shoulder. He motioned me to follow him while the kid took out some more walkers.

I followed them inside a room in the prison, where he put down Michonne and ordered some other people to provide him with the needed supplies. All I could do was watch, helplessly.

The man started pouring some water in her face and tried to ask her some questions, but Michonne tried to reach for her katana, which was unsuccessful.

"No. We're not going to hurt you unless you try something stupid first, all right?" The man pleaded with her.

"Rick," the older man spoke admonitory, and the man addressed as Rick looked up. So did I.

Another man walked into the room, eyeing us, clearly not trusting us.

"Who the hell's this?" He scoffed.

"Wanna tell us your name?" Rick asked Michonne, and then looked up to me. "And who are you?" All of a sudden everyone looked in my direction. I swallowed.

"I'm Ben," I finally said, hoping to relieve the tension that was building.

"You gon' wanna see this," the man said to Rick, ignoring my sentence. Rick nodded to him, and then regarded us again. He picked up the katana as the boy got the basket with the formula.

"We'll keep this safe and sound. The doors are all locked. You'll be safe here." He cracked a small smile. "And we can treat that," he pointed to Michonne's wound.

Michonne sent him an angry glance. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Doesn't matter," the man who had saved us, sighed. "Can't let you leave now."

The other man locked the cell door behind us, leaving us in that cell, together. "No, wait!" I called out, but he left anyway.

I slid down against the concrete wall, hugging my knees as I sat down. It felt as if we had landed from one prison into another.


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey guys! I am updating now, while I should be working on my defense... But I have too much fun writing this story. I'll update again on Friday and I think Sunday or Monday, and I saw I'll be leaving you guys with the worst cliffhanger ever. Sorry about that! My move is on Monday, and I'm not sure if the internet there works yet. I will try and update as soon as I can, I will at least take my iPad and mini laptop with me, so I can write the ending of this story.**

* * *

 _Victor's POV_ :

"Guys?" Demi's voice sounded unusually pitchy.

That could only mean one thing. Danger, ahead of us.

Behind Eliza I could see small movements. The bending and straightening of fingers. Eyes that shot open. This accompanied by soft grunting, which quickly became louder.

We all saw it now, except for Eliza. She just eyed us suspiciously, as she had done the whole night. But the sun had started to rise now. And the sun wasn't the only thing at that.

Hannah just pointed at something behind her. The raven-haired woman furrowed her brow. "And as soon as I turn around, you'll get my knife from me or something? Is that how you wanna play it?"

But then the grunting got her attention, too. Her eyes widened as she slowly turned around, only to let out another shriek as she found her late-fiancé reaching for her with his long and pale fingers.

"Come on guys, we have to get out of here," Hannah yelled at us, while she removed the table which we had used to barricade ourselves, from the door. Eliza could only stare at the walker Richard had become.

"Honey? Is it…?"

"Come on, Eliza!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Move!" None of us felt the need to walk over to the woman and grab her, or to take former Richard out. I knew we had to leave, right now. There was no time to waste.

The woman placed her hand on his bloody cheek, gently stroking it. Hannah just grabbed Daniel and fled through the opened door, and Demi was about to do the same, but somehow I was nailed to the ground, not able to move. What was that woman doing?

"Vic, please!" Demi grabbed my hand, tugging me with her. I was just in time to see Richard take a bite out of Eliza's face. She didn't even scream.

We all hurried out of the building, where little rays of sunlight welcomed us. We ran and ran, not even paying attention to the approaching walkers. Not even taking them out, just running to safety.

Completely out of breath I fell down after a while. I was exhausted, exhausted and confused.

"You okay, Vic?" Demi's blonde head towered over mine, her green eyes looking worried. I closed my eyes, but witnessed Richard biting Eliza all over again, so I opened them again.

"I'm sorry, I'm just exhausted." I eyed the environment. I was laying in some open field, apparently. For some reason the change in scenery just got to me now. The mountains were completely gone, and all I saw were fields and clouds. Hannah and Daniel popped up next to Demi.

"We can sit here and relax our muscles for a little, if you want," Hannah offered. "My feet are killing me, too." She sat down to my one side, and Demi sat down at the other. None of us said something.

"Man… That was… I don't know," I spoke, after a while. I was still dazzled by the event that had happened earlier this day. Richard dying, rising again, killing Eliza. What struck me the most was Eliza letting herself be killed. Why would she do that?

I realized I had said that last part aloud when I found Demi's eyes resting on me. "Because she didn't want to live without him," she said in a soft voice. "Well, that, and she was probably already a little crazy to begin with."

I bit my lip. "But still… We only wanted to help her. She could have travelled with us to Woodbury. She could have survived."

Demi lay down next to me. "So, Woodbury is still up, then?" Silence struck us for a few seconds.

Woodbury. Of course. That had been their idea, not ours. They had heard about it, and we had just followed them. And now the couple was gone but we were still around. Where were we gonna go now?

"You still want to?"

The blonde nodded, her eyes fixated on the sky. "We came this far already. I wouldn't even know how to get back to that bar. Besides, we owe them that. We owe ourselves that. A safe haven, for real this time. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder all the time."

"Me too," Hannah chimed in. "We should at least try Woodbury. If it's overrun or something, we can always decide on where to go next. But for now, I love the idea of a safe haven."

"Alright then, we'll try to find the place, see what life there is like," I responded, a little dreamy. I was just so tired.

"Hannah, I have to go pee, can you come with me?" Daniel came up to his big sister. She sent him a smile. "Of course I. Let's find you some bushes." She shot us an apologetic glance before they both walked off. With my eyes closed I listened to the sounds of chirping crickets. It was the most relaxing sound in the world.

But somehow the atmosphere was still uncomfortable.

When I opened one eye, I noticed Demi's eyes were still fixated on the sky, her mind seemingly occupied. Her hand was clawing through the grass, tightening her grip before she let it go again. I decided now was the time.

"Is everything alright, Demi? I mean, between us," I added when I saw her forced smile. "And please don't lie."

Her smile faded away as she down casted her eyes, staring at the grass she had pulled out of the ground. "I don't know."

I was going to open my mouth when she started speaking again. "I'm confused. About Ben, about you. About everything that has happened so far."

"That makes two of us, I guess," I responded. "How I feel about you hasn't changed, though. And I don't think it will."

She affirmed her gaze on me again, and I wasn't sure what her current expression was called. Something between surprised and astonished.

"Ben's not coming back, Demi. It's been months."

"I know," her soft voice reached my ears. "This is a new world. Things are no longer what they used to be. And I'll move on, I have to eventually. All I need is a little more time."

We both lay like that for a while, in the open field, trying to process everything that had been said. I wasn't sure what she meant with moving on, and more time, but I didn't dare to ask her. In the back of my mind I started to wonder if maybe, even if it was the tiniest bit, she had feelings for me too, but was afraid to give in to them.

I woke up from my thoughts when I heard Hannah's and Daniel's voices getting louder.

"Guys!" The boy shouted at us. I opened one eye.

"What's up?"

He could barely contain his excitement, and Hannah seemed extraordinary happy, too. "I think we're close!"

Demi sat up, and so did I. "Close to what?" She asked, one eyebrow arched.

"Woodbury, duh!" The boy was all smiles.

"What, how?" I asked, surprised. Had we been so close to Woodbury this whole time? I had no idea where exactly we were, but we couldn't already be there, right?

"We witnessed a truck passing by, down the road," Hannah's eyes sparkled. "They didn't spot us. We followed them for a little, for as long as we could, and watched them drive towards down the road before making a left turn. It has to be Woodbury, where they were headed. Where else would they go?"

Demi started to brighten up too now. "Really? You think that's Woodbury, over there?"

The redhead hung her shoulders. "Well, I don't know if it's Woodbury, but at least it's a place where people are. Walkers can't drive, so it must be people, over there. We could check it out."

"I think it's a great idea," I smiled. Maybe the road to safety was a lot shorter than we had imagined.

* * *

The road was actually a lot longer than we had imagined. We had been walking for hours now and we still had not reached it. No more trucks passed us by, and I started to wonder if the place was real at all.

We tried to shield ourselves from the road, so no neither the living nor the dead would see us. Unfortunately there seemed to come up more and more of the latter, and half of the time we were busy saving each other's asses.

"Are you sure Hannah, that this is where the truck went? This road looks pretty much deserted," Demi muttered, wiping her forehead.

"Yes, I'm sure," Hannah replied a little agitated. "If I'm not mistaking, we are about to turn left…" She scanned the environment, and put her finger in the air, "right here."

The road did not look so accessible, but there were tracks of tires in the dirt, indicating something did pass.

My heart started beating faster as we resumed that road, which was a little hidden in the forest. None of us spoke, we all just walked, all consumed by different thoughts. Part of me hoped it would be the safe haven we had all wished for, but how realistic would that be? We had been out of luck ever since this whole thing started, why would that change, all of a sudden?

Another part of me whispered to me we were bound to get lucky one day, so why not now? Maybe this would exactly be what we wanted it to be.

Maybe, just maybe, we were lucky today.

I saw contours of a perimeter looming up in the distance, and noticed traces of asphalt on the road. Once this had been an actual road, and I wondered what had happened to it.

"Look," Daniel pointed, "I see people!"

We all looked at the perimeter. I had to narrow my eyes, but then I saw it too. There were people on the perimeter, which consisted of a white-fenced wall built up with rubber tires. It looked a bit strange, but I wasn't complaining. Here and there a crashed car was seen, and the ground was scattered with rummage, but I didn't give that a lot of thought.

The others started smiling at the sighting of it, and their energy seemed to be renewed.

"You see, Vic? It exists! It actually exists! Hannah was right," the blonde smiled, her green eyes lighting up. Hannah's lips curled into a huge smile too.

The closer we came to the perimeter, the more nervous I became. Should we just show ourselves to those guards, or was it better to observe it all from a distance? I wasn't exactly sure why, but the men seemed a little tense, as if they were having some kind of argument. Or maybe that was just my imagination.

But then Demi's smile widened. I curiously eyed her, and then looked back at the perimeter. Back at the guards, who had spotted us too, now. One of them wanted to point his weapon at us, but another one made him put it down.

A man who happened to have just one hand.

"Merle!" Demi shouted, waving at him. Merle, the guy that had brought Demi back to our camp, albeit unintentionally? How had he ended up here? We were pretty far from the city they had encountered each other.

"Blondie!" The man widened his eyes. "I'll be damned."

"Can you please let us in? We've been searching for this place for quite some time now. This is Woodbury, right?" She tilted her head a little, but he nodded.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," he confirmed. "Open the gate, men! We've found ourselves some new inhabitants."

Woodbury, I had high hopes.

* * *

 **So, finally they have arrived! And now Ben's gone... But no worries, things are going to become very interesting!**


	35. Chapter 35

**My ratings are incredible lately! Thank you guys! I'm working hard on finishing this story, and I've come up with a new one already... But I have yet to develop that one.**

 **Also, hi new follower! I saw on your profile that we'll be speaking the same language very soon! Maybe I should start reading your fic tonight, as a practice.**

 **Anyway, here's the 35th chapter, in which Ben and Michonne bond. Well, a little. Tiny bit.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

"Now, listen up. We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water, and then send both of you on your way again. But you're gonna have to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula."

Rick looked demanding, his hand on his gun. Behind him stood an old man on crutches and some sort of redneck that didn't look too friendly, carrying a crossbow.

"The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl," I quickly answered, not wanting to face the consequences for keeping quiet about this. Now they all looked in my way.

"Were they attacked?" The old man asked, and I nodded.

"They were taken," Michonne said.

"Taken by who?"

"By the same son of a bitch who shot me," the woman hissed, getting visibly angry again by the thought of Merle taking an aim at her.

"Hey, these were our people, you tell us what happened, now!" He grunted, putting his hand on her leg. That was a big mistake.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" She yelled at him, completely distraught. The redneck directed his crossbow at us. "You'd better start talking. You're gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound."

"Find 'em yourself," she taunted him.

I put my hands in the air. "Hey, hey, take it easy." Rick seemed to agree with me, instructing the man to put his crossbow down again. That was a close one.

"You guys came here for a reason," he spoke, in a friendlier voice now. I slowly put my hands down again and nodded.

"There's a town out there, called Woodbury. About 75 survivors. I think they were taken there. They guy who took them probably took them there, yes."

"A whole town?" Rick asked incredulous, the others gaping at us. I could tell they had a hard time believing us.

"It's run by this guy who calls himself the Governor – pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type," Michonne said as if she was tasting something bitter.

"He got muscle?"

We both nodded. "He has men. Armed sentries on every wall."

"You know a way in?" The man curiously asked. I didn't, but Michonne did, and she gave him a firm nod.

"The place is secure from walkers, but we could slip our way through."

He seemed to believe us now, but then was struck with another question.

"How'd you know how to get here?" Now they all looked at me again. I cleared my throat.

"They mentioned a prison, said which direction it was in, all we did was follow it up. I'm not from around here, but it wasn't that difficult to find." The man seemed to believe me, for now. Then he pointed at the older man on the crutches.

"This is Hershel, the father of the girl who was taken. He'll take care of the wound." Both he and the redneck man took off, leaving us behind with the man. I couldn't do much else but smile at him, and he returned it. Out of these three men, he definitely seemed the nicest.

I watched him clean out Michonne's wound, something she didn't exactly welcome and made her grunt in pain, but she pulled through.

"There there," he tried to calm her. "Almost done. You're lucky to have ended up here. That wound was surely going to get infected if ya'd left that untreated."

The woman just snorted, backing away.

Then the old man shot a glance in my direction. "How 'bout you? You okay, son?"

I nodded. "No bite wounds, no scratch marks. No other wounds, either." I had managed to stay in relatively good health, this time. The man gave me a polite nod.

"Why are we locked up, anyway? We haven't come here to mess you people up or anything, if we had meant harm we wouldn't have brought this formula and inform you of your people's kidnapping," I tried, and that earned me a weak smile.

"I know, son. We just had a rough couple of days."

The tone of his voice made me not dare to ask more about it. Instead I just let out a sigh. At least we were safe in here, which was better than being in the outside world. Better than Woodbury, or so I hoped.

I watched the older man leaving and locking the door behind him, leaving the two of us alone again. Michonne just had a sour look on her face.

"Do you think it was a good decision to come here?" I asked after a while, lying on the ground and staring at the ceiling. My back felt sore. "At least your wound is taken care of."

The woman snorted.

"Why did you wanna go here, anyway? I thought it was unlike you to join other groups and places," I remarked, still lying on my back. When I looked up, I noticed she had a distraught look on her face.

I started to wonder what she wasn't telling me. The Michonne I had gotten to know was quiet, and secretive, but also possessed a good intuition. We came here for a reason she was keeping from me, and I wondered what that was. I feverishly started thinking.

"Did it have to do anything with the baby formula? You have a soft spot for babies now?" I laughed, but then I saw her pale. Apparently I had touched a sensitive topic.

"Is there something you want to share?" I figured I already knew the answer to that. "You don't have to, if you don't want to," I quickly added. "We all have our secrets. You have yours, and I have mine."

A little suspicious she looked in my direction, slightly raising her eyebrow.

I stared at the ceiling again. There had been a leak earlier, I could tell by the dark spots it displayed.

"I was with another group before," I said, a little quieter. "But I left them behind." The woman didn't look at me, but I knew she was listening. To hell with it, I thought. I might as well get it from my chest.

"I was with my very best friend, and the woman I loved… Some other people, too. Things were difficult at first, but it got better, and for the first time in a long while I felt happy again, you know? Funny how that works, in an apocalypse." My heart ached a little when I thought of that time at the camp, in the mountains.

"But my stupid behavior ruined everything. I should have never brought that liquor to the camp. I was gonna stop, I swear. But I just couldn't quit cold turkey. Not like that." I let out a deep sigh. My chest had never felt so heavy before.

"What happened… It was all my fault. My behavior cost us lives. She was furious with me, refused to even speak to me. And my best friend… He was cold as ice. It was clear to me; they hated me. I could tell from the way they looked at me. Like I was the lowest of the lowest. I am, in a way. I decided they were better off without me, so I left. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. I don't even know if they're still alive right now. I should not have left." Tears were streaming down my face now, and I sniffed a few times to clear my blocked nose. I felt a little lighter than before.

"I'm sorry." It was so quiet I wasn't even sure if I heard it right.

When I glanced at her I noticed her eyes were somber. That took me by surprise. As soon as she felt my eyes on her she blinked a few times, and her facial expression turned sour again. I wondered how much there was that I didn't know about Michonne. I started to think there was a lot more to her than the image she so carefully displayed.

I sighed again. I guess she'd probably never tell me that.

Suddenly Rick stumbled into the room. "We're goin' there now. Pack your stuff, you're goin' with us."

* * *

Michonne and I found ourselves on the back seat of a grey car, next to an African-American man. Rick was driving the vehicle and next to him sat the redneck we had met earlier, Daryl. I had to say, his crossbow was impressive. I wondered if he'd be able to teach me how to work such a thing, one day.

But he wasn't the friendliest guy I'd ever met, so I doubted my chances were high.

Suddenly the car stopped, next to the road. We weren't there yet, were we? Everyone exited the car, and Michonne prompted me to do the same. With a sigh I got out. Rick had been nice enough to hand me a gun, even though he still seemed a little wary of me.

"They have patrols. We're better off on foot," Michonne explained. That did make sense.

"How far? Night's coming," the man demanded to know.

"A mile, maybe two."

The men got their weaponry out of the trunk and I quietly followed them, not sure about what to do. They seemed to be a lot more relaxed in this area than I was. The approaching walkers gave me goosebumps.

"Are we not…?" I tried to ask as they entered the forest, but Rick just shushed me as Daryl eyed me from head to toes. "Let's spare our ammunition."

I shrugged as I followed them further into the woods. These guys certainly were something else.

None of us spoke as we progressed through the forest, and I took my time to look around. The weather certainly was lovely today, and I heard birds chirp. I had no idea what month it even was, really. I had completely lost track of time.

I walked next to Michonne while Rick and Daryl engaged in a conversation. Out of these people I knew Michonne best, and that didn't mean a lot. Who said these guys wouldn't kill us as soon as they didn't need us anymore? Rick had mentioned something about being a cop, before all this, but even cops could get nasty on you in times like these.

I didn't have much time to think about that, though, because suddenly Daryl hushed us, telling us to get down. And there it was again, the snarling. Except this time it sounded a lot harder, and a lot more.

We found ourselves surrounded by dozens of walkers.

"No gunfire, guys," Rick warned us, as he grabbed the first walker and hacked it down. I reached for the axe that was sticking out of my backpack, and slashed down my fair share of walkers, but there were just too many of them.

"Come on guys," Rick summoned us, and we all ran after him as he led the way. A small cabin loomed up in front of us. Entering a cabin didn't seem like the best idea ever to me, but it surely sounded better than getting eaten alive.

We all entered it and Michonne slammed the door shut behind us. "Keep it down, guys, keep it down," Rick instructed. I had figured he was the leader, and since Michonne seemed to obey him, so did I. I wouldn't want to go against her intuition.

The bearded man shone light on different sides of the cabin. Someone appeared to have lived here, once. But where was he now?

What we did find were the remains of a dead dog. That explained the horrendous smell.

"I guess Lassie went home," Daryl snickered.

The undead had started banging on the walls of the cabin now. Through the cracks I could see their disgusting faces and dead eyes, set on us. We were seemingly trapped inside the cabin, by the looks of it.

Suddenly Rick motioned Daryl, and the both of them carefully approached some sort of bed. It showed off the contours of a human. Maybe we weren't alone.

With a swift move Rick pulled the blanket up, and we were met by some kind of hermit, who directly came at us with a gun.

"Who the hell are you?" He yelled, pointing his weapon at Rick.

"We don't mean any harm!"

"Get outta my house," the guy threatened with his gun, and Rick put his hands in the air, trying to show the man he wasn't going to hurt him.

"We will, but we can't right now. There are walkers outside" Rick tried to reason with him, but that didn't go as planned, and he just started screaming at us.

"Shut him up," Michonne insisted, noticing more and more walkers started to find their way to the cabin.

"I'll call the cops!" A little incredulous I stared at the man. He thought there were still working phone lines around? Was this guy delirious?

"I am a cop," Rick told him. "Now please, lower your weapon. Everything's fine. Let's just take this nice and slow, okay?"

But the hermit wasn't about to take things nice and slow.

He loaded his weapon and tried to take an aim at Rick, which failed, and a consternation started to arise. Somehow the guy managed to get out of Rick's grip and made a run for the door, but Michonne prevented him from opened it by stabbing the man with her katana. He was dead before he hit the floor.

I let out a relieved sigh. That was close. Very close.

"Help me with the door," Rick demanded as he and Daryl grabbed the hermit's corpse.

"You have got to be kidding me," the man, who had introduced himself as Oscar earlier, stammered.

"Just check the back door," Rick grumbled, while he and Daryl dragged the man to the front door. Michonne opened the door and they threw him right into the walker pit, something they welcomed by tearing the corpse to pieces. That gave us a chance to escape through the back door of the cabin.

We all hurried out, and for a second I stopped to witness the ordeal. Walkers, feeding off a man we had just killed, giving us the chance to escape… What world were we living in?

"Come on, man!" Oscar tugged my sleeve. With a sigh I turned around to follow them.

A fucked up world.

* * *

 **So... That might as well mean that a reunification is nearing!**

 **HellaChloe: You're about to find out!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey guys, posting this from the airport! A new life is about to start for me. I am scared, but excited, and encouraging all of you to go live your dream, no matter how difficult that may seem. It is _so_ worth it. **

**I hope I have wifi there, so I can post the rest of my story. It might be a little later than usual, but it will arrive. Until 39 is written, until 42 is determined and ready to be written soon, I just don't know when it will be up.**

 **Anyway, enjoy my cliffhanger for now. I have learned from the best.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

"Now, I don't want y'all to get offended, but we gonna have to take yer weapons. All of them," the one-handed man added a little gruff.

I tilted my head a little and stared at Merle. "Why?"

"Just call it routine, sweetheart," he grimaced. "Martinez, could ye inform the Governor? You come with good ol' Merle, blondie," he motioned me, and I threw him a surprised glance. I felt the eyes of my friends piercing in my back.

"Just go, Demi," Victor encouraged me with a small smile. I could tell he was a little uncomfortable. To be honest, I had expected a warmer welcome, too. But Merle and the men surrounding him had been a little distant, and suspicious.

A little wary I followed Merle into one of the buildings, and he lead me to a small room which contained nothing more than two chairs, a desk, and a large bookcase.

"Sometimes I like to sit here and read," Merle said as he sat down. "Just because it's the damn apocalypse don't mean I can't educate myself a lil'."

A small smile escaped my lips. "I guess that's true."

"Now tell me, blondie. How'd ye find this place?" His eyes were affirmed on me, and made me feel uncomfortable. The Merle I had met before hadn't been exactly friendly, but the version of him I had encountered now frightened me a little. His face looked beaten up. My eyes shifted to his bayonet-prosthetic hand.

"Pretty neat huh?" He remarked when he noticed my eyes had fallen on his new gadget. "The Governor found me, patched me up. Damn sure thought I was done for. Just look at me now."

I nodded, admiringly. "Hey, did you eventually find your brother?"

The man shook his head, but he looked determined. "Gettin' close."

"Some other people heard of this place. We decided to join them on their way here. Unfortunately they didn't make it," I decided to share with him. "And the blond guy, the one you wanted to take out earlier, well, he's gone."

The man's head shot up, and he had a bit of a confusing look on his face, before he started smirking. "What?" I asked, a little suspicious.

"Now, what was his name again?"

I furrowed my brow. "Ben."

The man tapped his chin. "Ben," he echoed.

"Yeah… We haven't seen him in months. He's probably dead. Part of me had hoped he'd be here," I added quietly. "Is he?"

"Wouldn't count on it, blondie. Scrawny white boys don't get very far on their own," he chuckled. I just stared to the ground. I knew it had been too good to be true. Of course he wasn't here. What was I even thinking…

A knock on the door woke me up from my thoughts. When I looked up I saw a man standing there, a charming type, in his forties.

"Sorry for the interruption," he said, while offering me his hand. A little timid I shook it. "I'm the Governor."

"The… What?" I raised one eyebrow.

"I am the leader of Woodbury. The inhabitants of Woodbury and I would like to welcome you and your group here. Is this your whole group or are there more of you out there?" He smiled at me, but it was hard to miss his underlying tone. He was suspicious of me.

"This is it," Merle answered my question. "Just them." I just nodded, happy with the fact the one-handed man helped me out.

The man slowly exhaled. "Well, welcome to Woodbury, then. Merle, can I have a word with you? It's urgent," he added, when Merle wanted to protest.

I rose from the chair I was in, nodded to them, and left the room. Once outside I inhaled the fresh air and sat down on a bench. I could tell it wouldn't take long before darkness was going to set in. I thought about the others. I wasn't sure where they had brought them, and I didn't spot them anywhere around.

Something about this place didn't sit well with me.

Merle had seemed tense, and his face was in shambles, as if someone had given him a beating. The man who had introduced himself as the Governor – what kind of title was that, anyway – had also seemed on edge, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on with this town.

My heart made a little jump when someone sat down next to me, all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you," the woman smiled apologetically. She looked worn out. "You must be new."

I shot her a small smile. "Yes, me and my group arrived here today. We were looking for a safe haven, and well, this place looks pretty safe to me. I'm Demi."

The blonde averted her eyes and stared into the distance. "Andrea."

"Well, nice to meet you, Andrea."

"Have you seen the Governor anywhere?" She asked, after some silence. "I just went to knock on his door, and he wasn't there." She ran a hand through her blonde curls.

"I met him, about half an hour again. He wanted to talk to Merle, in that building over there," I nodded to the building I had exited a time ago.

"Thank you, Demi. It was nice meeting you," she said as she stood up. "I hope you'll like it here."

"Thank you, too," I smiled at her. "Good luck finding him." I watched her as she walked away, towards the building, and let out a deep sigh. Why was everyone around here behaving in such an erratic manner?

I rose to my feet, too. It was time to go find my friends.

* * *

"Demi!" A familiar voice called me out. I turned around, and to my pleasure I spotted Victor and the others.

"Oh God, Vic!" He put one arm around me, something I awkwardly welcomed by putting my arm around him, too. Hugging him was something that didn't happen too often. I started to wonder why.

"Where have you guys been?" I asked, when he finally released me. Hannah smiled at me as she put her arm around Daniel's shoulder.

"Some guys wanted to talk to us, to see if we were up to no good. They will decide in a few days if we can stick around, so until then, let's just show off our good side to them, right?" My smile faltered.

"They said that?"

Victor nodded a little glum. "Yeah. But we'll get through that. At least we're safe for now. Care to explore this town, guys?"

I stared back at him, and then at Hannah and Daniel. "We are going to get some sleep in the house they appointed us to," the redhead excused herself. "We are exhausted. We'll catch up with you guys in a bit!"

Victor and I walked for a bit, exploring the area and the perimeter, before we sat down on the grass. Ever since our talk earlier I felt more comfortable being around him. It was as if the air between us was cleared now, and it felt good to have him back into my life. A little too good, perhaps.

The sky was quickly turned all shades of pink before it finally turned dark. It was a beautiful sighting.

"So… How do you feel about the Governor, Demi?" Victor questioned me, cocking his head to the side. I just shrugged.

"I am not sure. I've only seen him for 5 seconds, or so. He was acting all nervous and stuff. To be honest, it threw me a little off guard," I admitted with a sigh. The dark-haired man threw me a surprised look.

"I think he's a good man. I mean, at least he let us in. Maybe he just has an off-day. We should trust him, Demi. We don't really have a choice. Besides, there's no way I'm going out there again." I let out a deep sigh.

"Maybe you're right."

He playfully raised an eyebrow at me. "Maybe? You sure about that?"

"That depends. What if I am?" I challenged him, sticking out my tongue. He responded to that by grabbing and tickling me.

"No, Vic, please! You know I can't take tickling," I grimaced, laughing. "Stop it!"

"Not before you take it back!" He continued tickling me until we both fell backwards into the grass, him on top of me. Suddenly his face was closer than it had been in a long time. There were all these sparkles in his eyes. The man had the most beautiful eyes.

Without thinking I leaned in, and kissed him. It was only a short kiss, one that lasted merely seconds, but when I let go I still felt like I was floating.

"Demi? I… Are you sure?" His eyes voiced uncertainty.

A little pained I thought about Ben. I had hoped, as a last ditch effort, he'd be here. He wasn't. I couldn't mourn his absence forever. Eventually I had to move on from him, so why not now? Victor was a great guy.

"Yeah, I am," I responded, smiling.

He took me into his arms. "That makes me happy."

* * *

The sound of sudden gunfire got me on edge. With big eyes I turned around and looked at Victor, who stared back at me.

"Was that…?"

"In here?" He asked me. "It can't be, right? We must have heard it wrong." I nestled myself back into his arms, trying to forget about that sound, but then I heard it again. I got up and looked around. Other inhabitants came out of their houses, too.

"Are we under attack?" A trespasser mumbled.

"Let's find the Governor," I urged, and the dark-haired man stood up with a sigh.

We found him a little further, bowing over a man who was sitting in the door opening of his house. More people approached the pair, and I spotted Andrea too.

"How many?"

"I… I don't know," the man stuttered, still seemingly in shock.

"Well, think," the Governor urged him, a little irritated.

"Six or seven guys, I don't know. I had never seen them before." Distant chatter started to arise, people started to become a little nervous and confused.

"Are we under attack?" One of them voiced her concern. The Governor rose from the ground and turned to us.

"Hey, please just go home, lock your doors, keep the lights off. We want to keep everyone safe. Come on." He tried to sound convincing, but he didn't fool me. Something was going on here. Something that could explain my iffy feeling from earlier.

"Are you coming, Demi?" Victor, who had already started walking, asked me, lightly cocking his head. Others were also leaving, setting course to their house, but a small group, consisting of Andrea and some other people, had stayed behind.

I stared back at the Governor, trying to understand what he was saying to the few people still around. "We're under attack. If you find these people, don't take any chances, don't take any prisoners, you shoot to kill," he quietly instructed them. They all started moving.

"Demi, please come. Don't do anything stupid," Victor pleaded, starting to look desperate. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Something is going on here, Vic," I frowned at him.

"I know, we're under attack," the man sighed. "Please, come with me. Come find Hannah and Daniel. Together we'll be safe."

With a sigh I gave in, and I followed him to the house the Governor had appointed to us, only to find out it was empty. There was no one there. No Hannah, no Daniel, no one.

"Where are Hannah and Daniel?" The pitch in my voice didn't go unnoticed. The man ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know, I told them to stay here before I left to go find you. You don't think they went looking for us, right?"

I apologetically shook my head. "Maybe they were worried about us. We have to go find them, Victor." He sighed and turned around, ready to leave the building. "I know. We will."

Outside we encountered some more people, running and hiding. It wasn't hard to tell these people hadn't experienced many threats during the apocalypse, or the time before that. They were clearly new to hostile situations such as these. All I could think about was how I wanted to show the Governor my value. Maybe I could help them out, in a way.

I decided it was best to not let Victor know of my plan. He'd never condone it. "I'm going back to the house. Maybe Hannah and Daniel have returned."

The man nodded a little distracted, eyeing the chaos. "Yeah, sure, maybe that's for the best. I will check the square one more time." Now he faced me, smiling.

"I'm happy you're finally making wise decisions now, Demi."

The gunfire became louder and louder as I was on my way to approach the perimeter. I had figured the intruders would try to find their way out, and if so, this was the easiest way.

The area was filled with smoke, and it was hard to discover anyone. There were bodies, here and there. Bodies of people I had never met before. I got one of the corpse's gun, so I would at least be able to protect myself. I had become a pretty good shooter.

In the distance I spotted Andrea, shooting at some of the intruders, and I hurried to her. "Andrea! Could you use my help?"

She had a wild look in her eyes. "Demi, what are you doing here? You were supposed to go inside!" She hissed, while taking a few shots.

From the corners of my eyes I saw Merle's men, also taking shots at the intruders. "But I want to help," I insisted.

"If you wanna help, then get out of the fire!" She yelled back. A little disappointed I backed away, not sure what to do.

But then I spotted one of the intruders, sitting behind a car, taking an aim at one of Merle's men. With a scary precision I decided to corner him as careful as I could, not even thinking about what I was going to do as soon as I reached him. I had never shot a living person before. Would I even be able to do it?

The guy hadn't seen me yet. I cocked my gun, ready to take him out as soon as we would come face to face. The Governor sure would be proud of us, and a place for us in this town would certainly be secured.

Three steps, two steps, I was almost there. The intruder was so busy shooting, he had no idea what was even going on behind him. I grinned, not being able to believe how stupid this guy actually was. Why try to invade a place when you're that much of an amateur?

"Do not move," I spoke, as I put my gun to his temple.

The man, not daring to move his head, slowly put down his gun and raised his hands up in the air.

"That's it," I said, more confident this time. "Nice and easy."

Something in his demeanor changed as I spoke those words. He spoke quietly, but loud enough to hear.

"Demi?"

Suddenly my throat became dry, and my vision blurry. The blood was drained from my face. Slowly the intruder turned his head, so I got a full vision of his face. A face I had seen many, many times before. His piercing blue eyes made contact with mine.

With a bang my gun fell to the ground.

"Ben?"


	37. Chapter 37

**Guys, I'm back! I'm eternally sorry for letting you all wait so long. I literally did not have internet. It was almost impossible to get it. With the help of a friend I'm finally back on track, but things aren't great yet. However, I did write an ending to this story. Not quite satisfied yet, it needs some work, but I will no longer keep this chapter from you.**

 **Happy to be back! So, where were we... Oh yeah, that's right. A reunion at the most unpleasant time ever. Reminds me of something...  
**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

The girl stared at me as if she had seen a ghost. I could understand why, though, I felt the exact same way. It was as if her eyes could pop any second now. However, there was no time for that.

I reached for her hand, something she reluctantly accepted. "Demi! There is no time to explain, you have to come with me."

"Come to where?" She asked, disbelief displayed in her eyes, and not moving a muscle. "What are you _doing_? Why are you shooting at the Governor? And Merle?"

"I will explain everything, but you will have to come with me," I whispered. "Please, Demi."

She looked a bit uncertain, almost doubtful of my intentions. I tried not to show that got to me. There simply wasn't time.

Still dazed the blonde woman gave me a light nod, and I tugged her with me, over to the others. Shots were fired from every direction now, it almost seemed like war. Or was it?

We took cover behind a trailer, just in time to see Oscar getting shot. Maggie bowed down over him, but it was too late, the man was gone.

"Come on Ben," she yelled at us, "we gotta get goin'!" She climbed the trailer, jumping down at the other side, making her escape.

"Come on Demi, follow her," I instructed, a little worried we wouldn't have enough time to make it.

Her eyes went big. "But what about the others? I can't leave them behind!"

"There's no time for that. I'm really sorry, Demi."

I shoved her onto the trailer and tugged her with me to the other side, following the others as we crawled to safety. The people at the perimeter tried to spot us with their lights, but we were safely hidden behind a car.

Suddenly we got startled by a rustling sound, and Michonne came up behind us. Everyone, except for us, pointed their weapons at her.

"Where the hell were you?" Rick asked in a dangerously low voice. "Get your hands up."

The dark-skinned woman did so, a little hesitant. She turned around on Rick's instructions, and he took away her katana.

"Where's the rest of your people?" She asked, her eyes downcast. Then it hit me. Daryl was gone.

"They got Oscar," the Asian boy, Glenn, stammered. "And Daryl's missing," Maggie added, still shaken. "You didn't see him?" The woman shook her head immediately.

"If anything happens to him…" Rick threatened her, but she cut him off by saying: "I brought you here to save them."

"Well, thanks for the help," the man taunted.

"You'll need help to get them back to the prison, or to get back in there for Daryl, either way you need me." I knew she was right, and Rick probably did, too. She was a skilled fighter, one they could use.

The man just snorted. Then his eyes fell on Demi.

"And who's this?" He asked, not looking away from her. "You smuggle a girl out?" I heard Demi swallow next to me.

"I know her," I hastened to say. "Had to get her out of there."

Rick narrowed his eyes before turning to Glenn. "You and Michonne, go back to the car. Michonne knows where the car is. Take these two with you," he pointed at us. "The rest of us will go get Daryl. There's no time to waste."

Glenn nodded. "Alright." Michonne kept silent, clearly not satisfied with this.

"Can't I come with you?" I asked the man, in an effort to save my friends. He just shook his head. "We don't have time for that. I need you here." A little disappointed I hung my head.

We all watched as Rick and the others made their way back into Woodbury.

"Okay, let's do what Rick says," the boy spoke, not feeling completely comfortable either. "Draw your weapons, it could be dangerous out there in the woods. The gunfire probably drawn some walkers here."

I turned to Demi. "Have you got anything to defend yourself with?" I still had the handgun Rick had given to me, but that was all I had. The blonde quietly shook her head. "I dropped my gun."

"Alright, use this." Glenn offered Demi a metal pipe. "It may not be much, but it should be enough to make it to the car." She took the pipe, a little indecisive. "Thank you."

Fast but on guard we travelled through the woods, following our new companions. Demi and I didn't speak much, only to warn each other for possible threats. She saved me from an approaching walker, and I got her back when she took one down, but other than that I still had no idea where we were standing. It was so unreal to see her again, after all this time.

I was relieved when we finally reached the car. Demi slid down against the back of the car, her hands in her hair. I lowered myself next to her. "Hey, you okay?" She stared at me with these big green eyes of hers. I still couldn't believe she was alive. She had definitely lost more weight, and her hair was longer now, but other than that she was still Demi. My Demi. I hadn't seen her in months, but the sighting of her still made butterflies flutter through my stomach.

"I don't know," she finally said. "What's going on? Who are these people you're with? Where have you been, these past couple of months? What… I…" Her voice trailed off, and she looked more confused than ever. "I thought you were dead."

"No, I'm not dead. Obviously. And I don't really know these people either." She raised an eyebrow. "Look, after… You know, well, I ran into Michonne and her friend. They took me in. We ended up in Woodbury, where I met Merle again. I don't think he recognized me. But the Governor can't be trusted, Demi. He's a bad guy. Merle kidnapped the Asian boy here, and the girl you just met. They tortured them. We came to save them."

Now she just gaped at me. "But Merle… Oh God… And we left Victor there. And Daniel. And Hannah… We have to go back." She wanted to stand up, but I grabbed her wrist.

"We can't, it's too dangerous right now. Rick told us no. He knows what he's doing. We'll go back for them later."

She sighed as she slowly sat down again. "I just… I don't want them to get hurt. I told Vic I was gonna go back to our house, and I lied to him. I can't only hope he didn't go looking for me…" It hurt me to see her like that.

"Vic… How is he doing? Was he… Mad at me?" I hesitated to ask. I had never doubted the fact he'd survive, but I did wonder how my absence had affected him.

Demi shot me a pained look. "He was hurt. We all were. You just left us there, without saying a word. How could you do that?"

"Well, you guys didn't exactly make me feel welcome, remember?" I shot back.

"Because you lied to us!"

I let out a deep sigh, not knowing what to say. After all, she was right. However, the whole situation still stung. I witnessed a walker emerging from the woods getting mauled down by Michonne.

"I'm sorry, Demi. For everything. You have no idea." I was surprised when I felt her hand reaching for mine, and responded by caressing the back of her hand with my thumb.

"I'm sorry too. You obviously needed me, and I shunned you."

"Guys!" we got interrupted by Glenn. "I think I see them! Rick!" Michonne jumped up too.

"Rick, oh, thank God," the boy happily sighed by the sighting of them.

"Glenn, we got a problem here. I need you to back up –" he couldn't even finish his sentence before Glenn and Michonne both drew their weapons, and a small consternation arose. I tried to shield Demi from it all, holding her behind my back.

"What the hell is _he_ doing here?" He spat out, pointing to Merle.

"Woah, put that down!" Rick hissed at both him and Michonne.

"He tried to kill me!" Michonne screamed, panicked.

Everyone started yelling to one another while Rick tried to calm everyone down. I was no longer a fan of Merle, either. I had never been his biggest fan, but he had kept Demi safe earlier, and he had brought us to safety in Woodbury… Or so I had believed.

"The Governor's a real charmer, yeah," Merle snickered to Michonne. "Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea."

"Andrea's in Woodbury?" Glenn stared at them. "Right next to the Governor," Daryl responded.

Michonne immediately drew her katana in Daryl's direction.

"I told you to drop that!" Rick yelled back at her. "You know Andrea? Do you?"

"Yep, she does," Merle taunted them. "Her and blondie spent all winter cuddling up in the forest. Hmm, yeah. Together with the scrawny white boy. That's right, sweetheart," he called Demi out. "Yer boy over here must've had the time of 'is life!"

Rick came up to me now, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. "You know her too?" He asked in a dangerously low voice. I swallowed as I witnessed Demi incredulously eyeing Merle, and then me.

"My Nubian queen here had two pet walkers," Merle drew the attention away from me. "No arms, cut off the jaws, kept them in chains. Kind of ironic now that I think about it –"

"Shut up Merle!" His brother yelled back at him. Rick hurled back at Michonne now, letting go of my collar. I didn't face Demi.

"Hey, man, we snagged them out of the woods," the one-handed man defended himself. "Andrea was close to dying." Everyone stared at him now.

"So what you gonna do now, Sheriff, huh? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs, and cowards."

"Shut up!" The man yelled again.

"Pathetic. All these guns and no bullets in them," he snickered.

"Merle, shut up!" His brother was damn near losing his patience now.

"Shut up yourself! Bunch of pussies you roll –" Rick, having enough of Merle, hit him in the head, silencing him. The guy fell to the ground, finally shutting up.

"Asshole."

* * *

We watched from the car as the others were discussing our fate. I knew they didn't wanna take Merle back to the prison, and they were still wary of Michonne, but how would they regard me? Us? Would they leave us here, to fend for ourselves?

I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go to the prison again, but staying out here wasn't ideal either.

Suddenly Daryl started walking, followed by Rick. They seemed to be having an argument. Daryl walked back to the car, about to get his stuff from the trunk.

"Take care of yourselves," he nodded to us. "And take care of little Ass-kicker," he told Rick. "It's one tough kid." With those words he disappeared into the woods, going back to his brother.

"He chose to leave you guys behind?" I asked the man, who was clearly surprised. He watched them leave, and when they finally disappeared out of sight, he turned to us. The look on his face was not too friendly.

"We patch you guys up, and then you are gone," he hissed at us, and I heard Demi gasp.

"Right." Michonne just nodded.

"It's gonna be okay, Demi," I whispered, as I put my arm around her waist. "We'll think of something."

But she kept her eyes on the road.


	38. Chapter 38

**Thank you guys for the countless views! I am happy y'all are still reading this. So here comes the next chapter. My upcoming week will be intense, this country has like a million holidays and I literally have to work every day this week. My life is literally work - eat - sleep - repeat right now. But I do enjoy my job.**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

I wasn't sure how to feel about all of this.

One minute we finally stumble upon Woodbury, a place declared a safe haven, and the next we're under attack, and Ben appears out of nowhere to save me while the others get left behind. I didn't understand any of it.

What I did know is how happy I was to have Ben back. Losing him had been awful, and no matter how angry I had been with him, a part of me still loved him and wanted nothing more than to have him back.

And here he was, in the flesh.

I did wonder though, what had happened between him, Andrea and Michonne. Would he have made a move on any of them? After all, he was a guy, and he used to be somewhat of a womanizer… And I had met Andrea earlier, she wasn't an unattractive woman.

Merle's words clearly had not missed their effect on me.

Not that I was one to talk. I cuddled up with his best friend, yesterday.

How would they be doing? I was worried about their well-being, but I knew Ben was right. The Governor was probably on edge about all of this, and I was pretty sure there'd be a price on my head once he'd find out I was missing. Going back for them now, as much as I would want to, wasn't the best idea ever.

I glanced at Ben from the corner of my eye. The man just sat on the back seat of the car we were in, staring out of the window. He looked a lot better than before. Healthier. There was just something about him that I couldn't place. He must have had a haircut at Woodbury, since his sandy-blonde hair was shorter and less messy than before. His scruff was exactly the right amount. Even his deep-blue eyes looker clearer than ever.

Maybe this time he was finally clean, for real.

But what about Victor? I had finally given in to him. Timing had never been my best case, but this was ridiculous.

Right now I didn't even know if he was still alive. Who knew what the Governor had done to him… That thought made my heart stop. What if anyone had hurt him, or Hannah, or Daniel? The thought of that was one I couldn't bear.

I was with Ben now, and we were driving to a place I had never heard of before, together with a bunch of people I had never seen before and I wasn't sure if they were to be trusted. But what choice did I have?

* * *

We found ourselves locked in a cell. Ben, the woman with the dreadlocks, and me. The man, probably the leader of this group that was hiding in a prison, had decided on locking us up until we were healthy enough to hit the road again.

Ben had tried to reason with him, but the man just seemed disturbed, in a way. It was impossible to talk to him, and instead he had just locked us up in here. He clearly didn't trust us, and I understood that to a certain degree, but his erratic behavior scared me.

"Well, at least we're safe, for now," Ben tried to lighten up my sour mood. He tilted his head a little. "Right?"

I glanced at the dark-skinned woman, who was sitting opposite of us. She was sitting against the stone wall, hugging her knees and not paying any attention to us. She hadn't said a word ever since we were locked up, and it didn't look like she was about to break that silence, either.

Slowly I nodded. "I guess…" It was most certainly better than being anywhere else, yet somehow I felt extremely uncomfortable. I started wondering what was to be feared more; the dead, or the living.

An older man on crutches awoke me from my thoughts. He sent me a polite smile as he entered our cell, locking the door behind him.

"I mean you no harm, I have just come here to check up on you," he mumbled to no one particular. He kneeled down at Michonne's side. "Mind if I check your wound? I think the bandage needs to be replaced."

The woman grumbled a couple of undistinguishable words, but let him touch it anyway. She grunted in pain as he replaced her bandage, but didn't lash out at the man. After a few minutes he was done, and rose to the ground again.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" He addressed me, looking a little worried. "You weren't here before, if I recall correctly."

"She's with me," Ben quickly spoke up. "We had lost each other earlier, but I found her back in Woodbury. Luckily," he added, with a compassionate look in his eyes. A little uneasy I stared back at the man, before my eyes fell on his missing foot.

"What happened to your foot? If you don't mind me asking…"

The old man smiled half-heartedly. "Got bit in the ankle. Had to get my foot chopped off. It was an unpleasant experience, but at least I'm still here." My eyes went big.

"That worked?"

He leaned on one crutch, and smiled thriumphantically. "As you can see."

I smiled back at him. "Woah, I had no idea that could actually work. That's amazing. Well, not for your leg, of course. But you got to live."

The man nodded. "For now, at least. But I don't like to imagine what'd happen as soon as we'd lose the prison…" His voice trailed off, and my smile faded. Here he was safe, certainly, but outside the prison, in the open, he wouldn't stand a single chance. The walkers would get to him before he'd even tried to leap away.

I watched the man as he stumbled away, lost in endless new thoughts. Thoughts that started to consume me.

* * *

"You want to stay here? For real? With these people?" I gawked at the blond man, who was studying the ceiling. "Their leader, he is out of his mind. I know crazy when I see it." I had been observing the bearded man, Rick, for a time now, and had heard him scream a couple of times. It scared the shit out of me. If he treated his group members like this, what would be waiting for us, then?

"I know, I know," Ben argued, furrowing his brow. "But inside these walls we are safer than on the road." I snorted as I ran a hand through my hair.

"You sure about that?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "It's not an optimal situation, I'm aware of that. But it buys us time to come up with a plan to save the others."

"If they're even still alive…" I retorted, and Ben gave me a pained look.

"Don't say that."

I started fidgeting. "I don't wanna sound like a pessimist, but what are their chances? By now the Governor must have found out I am missing. He might think I betrayed him. Maybe the others got caught in a gun fight. Or they decided to go searching for me, and got attacked. Or maybe –"

"That's enough, Demi." He cut me off, a stern look on his face. "We can't change anything about that now."

A little defeated I stared to the ground, following the dark stains on the ground with my eyes. It must have been blood. Maybe a murder had happened here. That thought made me a little nauseous, and I swallowed upcoming gastric acid away.

"I don't get it though," I started off after a time of complete silence. "How did you end up in Woodbury to begin with?"

"Merle found us, and brought us there," the man responded.

I raised my eyebrow. "But… Merle said… He said you were dead." He blinked a few times. "Well, I feel pretty alive to be honest. Merle lied to you. You can't trust that piece of shit. He shot Michonne."

The dark-skinned woman finally looked our way. "He's a traitor. The Governor's right man. Or was."

"Where were you anyway?" Ben questioned Michonne. "All of a sudden you were gone, during the attack. What did you do?"

She closed her eyes, and it almost looked like she started smiling. Almost.

"He got what he deserved."

Ben frowned while I just stared at the woman, wondering what she had done to him. How could I ever be sure she was to be trusted? She didn't seem to have any weaponry on her, but for all I knew she could strangle me, right now, right here, with her bare hands. If she wanted to.

There wasn't much time to think about that, though, because right around that time the leader of the group stormed to our cell, looking visibly distraught.

The man almost looked possessed or something. I swallowed, and reached for Ben's hand, but he was too busy gazing at the man to even notice my hand on his.

"I need you out," the man hissed in a dangerously low voice. My eyes widened.

Wait, what?

The older man with the crutches came up behind him. "Rick, wait. Don't do anything stupid."

"You said these two were healthy, right? Open the cell."

The older man sighed, sending me a sympathetic glance. I didn't even dare to breathe.

"Rick, don't do this," the Asian urged him, looking frantic. "You just kicked those others out. These are good people. And we need the man-power. Honestly, Rick."

The man covered his ears with his hands. "I need them gone. I can't help them – any of them. They have to go!" His voice started to get louder with every word. All of a sudden he reached for his gun, causing a little consternation among the group members. Even Michonne seemed distraught now.

"Get them out!" He yelled, while waving his gun in the air.

The Asian quickly unlocked the cell door, motioning us to come with him. Ben rose to his feet and grabbed my hand to pull me up. The older man sent me an empathic look as our eyes met. None of us spoke as we followed the boy, while listening to the man still screaming.

"I'm sorry, guys. I really am. Rick's been going through a tough time," the boy hung his shoulders as he shot us an apologetic glance. "For what it's worth, take my gun. And get yourself to safety. Stay away from the Governor."

He handed Ben the gun as the opened the gate. My heart started pounding as I saw the approaching walkers. I couldn't believe he was really going to send us out there again.

"Come on, Demi," Ben said, as he put the gun away. "Let's get out of here."

I swallowed, as I saw the Asian boy disappear after he had closed the gate again.

We were back at square one.

* * *

 **So, it seems like Demi and Ben are out there again. But at least they have each other, right? Right?**


	39. Chapter 39

**Thank you guys for sticking with me! I am planning on finishing it tonight or tomorrow. After 60 hours of work I'm _finally_ off. Having a fulltime job sure is a lot of work. And I just had a discussion with my coworker about zombies so now I'm super stoked to write again. I sure would like to start another fic after this, if I have time. **

* * *

_Demi's POV:_

"I can't believe they did that."

I smashed a walker's head in with the metal pipe the Asian boy had given me earlier. I had kept it, and in the prison they had missed it. It looked a little like a melted crowbar. Or some other tool. Oh well, I thought to myself, at least this thing saved us from using bullets. The bullets were meant for when things were about to get really ugly.

"They just sent us out here again. That's inhumane. What are we gonna do now?" I slowly approached another, hitting it until it stopped moving. With the back of my hand I wiped the blood splatters from my forehead. Ben remained quiet.

I started observing the silent blond man, who was walking next to me. His eyes were fixated on the ground, not the best place to focus on in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. "Earth to Ben? Are you even listening to me?" Finally he turned around to face me.

"What is it, Demi?" The coldness in his eyes made me shiver. I tilted my head a little, not sure what this meant.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Well, I'm still alive. You are, too. I was just wondering how in earth we are going to save Victor and the others now, now it's just the two of us." I stared to the ground. I had been wondering the same thing. There was no way the two of us were going to pull that off just like that. But I didn't wanna give up hope.

"Look, we'll think of something," I tried to comfort him. "We'll find a way." Suddenly his eyes widened, and he looked around.

"What is it?"

He pushed his index finger against my lips. "Shh. Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I mumbled against his fingers. That tickled.

But then I heard it too. It sounded like two people bickering. As far as I knew walkers still couldn't talk, let alone bicker, so it had to be people. Ben motioned me to follow him, and I did.

As we came closer to the source, the bickering got louder. It was hard to understand what they were saying, but I knew who the voices belonged to. One of them, at least.

"Merle," Ben grunted, gritting his teeth. I wasn't sure how to feel about the guy either. At our first meeting, he had saved me. The second time around he had been nice to me, but he had lied about Ben being alive. And then according to Ben, he had captured and tortured some people from the prison group. It seemed like there were more sides to Merle than we could imagine.

"What do you wanna do?" I looked at the blond man, but he didn't avert his eyes from the one-handed man and his brother, who were holding up next to a small creek. Merle was making wild gestures with his one hand.

Ben was probably still mad at the man for shooting Michonne. I was still a little mixed about what he had said earlier about Ben having the time of his life with these two women. After some observation I had concluded Michonne and Ben did not seem to share much of a bond, but maybe there were other things I didn't know about.

"Maybe they can help us reach Woodbury, and save Vic and the others," I opted a little insecure. I was almost certain Merle would never do that, and his brother didn't exactly seem like the type to do that, either, but we could always try.

"No way. I'd rather die than ask for their help," Ben finally affirmed his gaze on me. He didn't look too happy.

I placed my hands on my hips. "Honestly? You'd rather die, leave me out here, leave our friends out _there_ , than request for help? This is your best friend we're talking about! He would save you! He wouldn't even think twice."

The man glared at me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you and him became pretty tight as well." That was enough to change the color of my cheeks into a deep red. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Please tell me you didn't." My silence was enough for him.

"God, Demi, really?" He ran a hand through his hair, averting his eyes from me, while I let out an annoyed sigh. "Really?"

"What is that supposed to mean? You left! I thought you were dead." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Of course you did. How convenient."

"It was just a kiss, nothing else. I thought I was over you. Turns out I'm not. Not even a little." I saw his expression soften a little. But then I saw something else too. "Ben, watch out!"

A walker had crept up to him from behind a tree and grabbed his ankle, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Hungry the walker threw himself on Ben, clacking his teeth at the frightened man, who was desperately trying to fight him off. And more were coming our way, having been alarmed by the icy screams we had let out.

He tried to keep the walker away with one arm and tried to reach for his gun with the other, while I took out the other walkers surrounding him. I was scared I wouldn't get to him in time, when suddenly an arrow ended the undead life of the walker on top of him. It didn't take long before the other walkers were assured of the same fate.

When I looked up, the front of a crossbow was pointed at me, behind it the redneck we had encountered earlier, Daryl. Merle was behind him, snickering.

"Blondie. Did Officer Friendly kick ye out of the prison, hm?" He shot me a thriumphant smile.

"Like he kicked you out of the group?"

His smile faded, but it didn't phase him. "We were just havin' a lil' discussion 'bout it, my lil' brother 'nd me. How're they holdin' up? Did the Gov'ner already cut 'em up or what?" He started snickering again, but his brother remained serious, glancing quickly at his brother before eyeing me again.

"We gotta get back to the prison, man."

Ben wiped the trail of blood the walker had left on his face away with his sleeve. He looked like a character straight out of a horror movie, but other than that he was fine.

"Thank you for saving us," he directed his words to the redneck, who still had his crossbow pointed at me, "but could you please get that thing out of my girl's face?" My heart fluttered a little when I heard him call me that.

The man gave him a long and intense stare, but did so. I let out an relieved sigh. The thought of getting pierced by an arrow didn't exactly arouse me.

Ben extended his hand to me and pulled me up, wiping the dirt off my face. "Are you okay?" Quickly I nodded.

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"Just knock it off, lovebirds," Merle interrupted us. "Go make some sweet love somewhere else. Unless I getta watch."

"Let's get out of here, Demi," Ben spoke, his eyes still on Merle, who shot him an innocent look. "I don't have time for scumbags like him."

"What's that supposed to mean, huh, loverboy?" Merle cocked his head to the side. "Think you're better than me now?"

"At least I don't torture people, or take out my own men." Now Daryl mixed himself into the conversation.

"What he talkin' 'bout, Merle? Got somethin' to share?" He raised his eyebrow at his older brother, before he spit on the ground.

"Hey there, now, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do, you fine people should know that. It's the damn apocalypse, ain't none of us are saints here."

"Oh that's bullsh-"

"Guys, guys, take it easy!" I threw my hands up in the air. "Please. We're looking for a way to get our people out of Woodbury, safe and sound. Do you know a way, Merle?"

The one-handed man smirked. "Think ye stand a chance against the Gov'ner, hm? Forget it, blondie. Ain't never gon' work."

I hung my head. There had to be a way, there _had_ to. Ben seemed defeated as well.

"There's gotta be a way, Merle. Rick found his way in too." Daryl came to our aid. "You spent a good while there."

The man shrugged. "Wouldn't try the perimeter if I were y'all. Bet the whole goddamned town is on lockdown now, thanks to Officer Friendly and his group of buds. But maybe..." His voice trailed off as he tapped his finger against his chin.

Suddenly I was all ears. "Maybe what?" Daryl looked up too.

He narrowed his eyes. "Pretty damn sure the Gov'nor and his men are on their way to the prison as we speak, lookin' for some sweet revenge. Y'all could sneak through the fence somewhere. Might be yer only chance. But don't expect it to be easy, sweet pie."

I exchanged looks with Ben. "You think we can do it?" The blond man looked a little less anxious than before, but I could tell he was still uncertain.

"No, but we're gonna have to. They'd do the same for us." I sent him a thankful smile.

"Care to help us?" I could always try. The four of us would be stand a better chance than just Ben and me. Daryl shook his head.

"I think it's time to go back to where I belong."

Merle let out an annoyed sigh. "Ye must've been hit in the head, lil' brother. The two of us'll be fine. Together, like old days."

"No, you'll be fine, Merle. I won't," Daryl spoke as he started walking. Merle stared at his back.

"Oh come on," the one-handed man called for him. "You wanna go back to those people? Imma bet they already dead. Cut up like animals. That what you want for us?" Daryl kept silent as he kept walking, and after shooting the both of us a quick glance, Merle started going after him.

"Don't ye dare walk away from me, lil' brother!"

Ben shook his head as we watched them walk away, Merle frantically calling for his brother out. "The guy sure is special." I ran a hand through my messy hair. "Special is one word to describe it, yeah." We both chuckled.

"So, you know the way back to Woodbury?"

* * *

 **By the way, do you guys think Glenn is no more? I'm not sure what to believe...**


	40. Chapter 40

**So guys, I didn't wanna keep this chapter from you. After this one three more chapters will follow. This story is officially completed now, I will probably edit it a little in the coming days, but it is finished. You are going to hate me for the ending, I just know. I even kinda hate me now.**

 **HellaChloe: I don't think he's dead, but he should be, after this. No one can survive something like this. I wonder how the writers are gonna explain this. After tonight (tomorrow for me) we'll see. Can't wait!  
**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

I knew going back to Woodbury was the only right thing to do. Of course, I wanted to save my best friend more than anything. I had left him behind once before; I wasn't about to do the same now.

But I did fear for my life, and Demi's even more so. I wanted her to survive all this more than anything. And lately I started to wonder what was to fear more; the dead, or the living.

The Governor wouldn't refrain from killing us, if he or his men would spot us. We didn't even know whether or not they were on their way to the prison. Maybe he didn't even know where the prison was, and we would walk right into a trap. Merle wasn't to be trusted.

"Maybe I should go in, and you wait here," I said as we were nearing the perimeter. "You just hide yourself away here, and we'll come to meet you." She stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at me.

"And let you go in there alone? No way. We're not doing that." I gave the girl a firm look, but she didn't give in. Finally I sighed.

"Alright then, fine. But we need a plan."

She tapped her finger onto her chin. "A plan, yes. I propose we just check out the perimeter, try to decide how many people are still here, and once we figure that out we form a plan and we find a way in. You need me, anyway," she cocked her head to the side, "because I know where the others are staying. If they're still alive..." Her voice trailed off, and I took her hand in mine.

"Of course they are. I know Victor. He's not about to die on us just like that."

"But what about Hannah, and Daniel? What if they're gone?" Her facial expression became sadder.

"We shouldn't think like that. We are going in as soon as the coast is clear, and we're going to find them. All of them," I added, and she brightened up a little.

"I guess you're right. We can't lose our head right now. Let's take this one step at a time." She and I silently made our way to the perimeter of Woodbury.

As soon as we came closer, I noticed a couple of guards on the walls. They were scanning the environment with their lighters, making sure nothing threatening was approaching their perimeter. I quietly cursed to myself. Maybe they would just wait for the people of the prison to attack them again, instead of going out there themselves.

"Okay, the perimeter is out of question, like Merle said," the blonde girl concluded, a deep frown appearing on her forehead. "At least he was telling the truth about one thing. Shall we wait until midnight, and then try to see if we can sneak through the fence somewhere?"

"You're forgetting about the nightly patrolling," I commented, sighing. "We're not trained assassins or anything. We can't ninja our way through this."

Demi sighed as well, but was obviously a lot more courageous than I was. "I know, and maybe this is a suicide mission, but I'm not leaving them behind. We gotta give it our all and try and save them. They'd do the same for us. Thing is," she added, in seemingly deep thought, "they think we're dead. At least, you left Woodbury on your own, and they don't know where I went."

I nodded, not sure where this was going. "They don't know you were with the prison group for a while, they know nothing about me at all. Their main focus is on the prison group right now, so maybe that's in our advantage. In the consternation, these guards probably don't know what exactly belongs to Woodbury and what not. I've only been away for a short time, I could probably slip right back in, say I got lost in the consternation and went hiding for a bit. But you..." She stared at me as she frowned.

"Maybe you should stay behind and keep watch, while I go in."

"I, what? No way! No way, Demi. I'm not losing you again. Forget it," I said in a gruff voice, and her expression changed.

"I know you don't want me to go in all by myself, but if they recognize you they might kill you, or capture you and torture you. And I don't want you to get hurt..." Her voice trailed off and she averted her face, looking down.

"We go by night, if I wear something that covers my face, like a hoodie, they might not even recognize me," I tried to convince Demi. "It's hard to distinguish people in the dark." She still looked uncertain.

"I am really not letting you go out there alone," I stubbornly added, crossing my arms. "Not a chance." Finally the blonde gave in.

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "We'll go in together. But please, be careful. I don't want to lose you out of my sight."

And I wasn't going to lose her.

* * *

It took us a while before we were convinced the timing was right to go in. It must've been somewhere around midnight when we sneaked through a tiny gap in the fence. Part of me was convinced this gap was Michonne's doing, as it was cut with an ultimate precision. No walker would ever be able to get through it, but we were.

We carefully maneuvered our way around and took cover behind a house.

"I think you know the way around here a lot better than I do," Demi whispered to me as she bowed closer. I could feel her warm breath on my cheek. "Our house was close to the main square, but I have no idea where that is, or where we even are. I know which house, I just don't know how to get there."

I feverishly started thinking, and pushed my hood a little over my eyes, so I wouldn't be recognizable. We were somewhere in the back of Woodbury, close to the fighting arena. I tried to remember what would be the best way to get there. There was this place, close to the –

"And what do you think you are doing here?!" a voice disturbed my thoughts, and we both turned around to face the person the voice belonged to.

In front of us stood a guard, shining at us with his faint lighter. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not asking you again." His gun was visible in the holster that was attached to his pants.

There was no time to think this through. Quickly I slid my arm around Demi and kissed her deeply. I felt her stiffen a little. "We were only seeking some privacy..." I innocently spoke as I started fidgeting the zipper of my pants. "You're a man, you have needs. You know how that goes..." It might have been dark, but I could easily tell Demi's cheeks were redder than ever.

The guard narrowed his eyes, not sure if he believed it or not. "With these recent attacks – do yourself and us a favor, and stay inside. Take it to the bedroom. Be inventive. Get out of here. Stick to the goddamn curfew."

Demi quickly nodded and I thanked the man, putting my arm around Demi as we walked away.

"God damn, that was close," I sighed, relieved and a little astonished that had actually worked. "You heard him, babe. We're gonna have to take it to the bedroom. Be inventive. Any ideas?"

The girl's cheeks were still red as she pushed away my arm. "We don't have time to joke around right now! We gotta find Victor." I became serious again, too.

"You're right. At least I do know where we are right now. We have to walk down this street and make a right, and then we're at the square. From there, you must be able to recognize where they are stationed, right?" The color on her face slowly faded, but she still seemed to feel a little uncomfortable.

"For what it's worth; you have been the only one for me, Demi," I said, after we had walked for a while.

She stopped walking and frowned as she looked me up and down. "I know you've been wondering. Especially after Merle's little attempt to estrange us. There has been no one else. There never really has been. It's always gonna be you. It always has been. And I'm sorry," I apologized, staring to the ground.

To my surprise she wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry, too. About everything. We both messed up. But as soon as we get outta here, we can start over. Just one thing," she narrowed her eyes while giving me a look.

"What?"

"Don't ever pull that prank on me again."

I rested my chin on her head. "That prank just saved your life, didn't it?"

* * *

Demi became more and more anxious as we came closer to the house were Victor and the others supposedly held their ground. We were careful and did our very best not to get spotted anymore. We wouldn't get so lucky the next time, that was for sure.

"Do you wanna go through the garage?" I asked the blonde as we stood in front of the house. I carefully scanned the area, but there wasn't anyone in sight - it was far past curfew and there weren't many patrols in this area. I wondered where everyone was.

The prison?

"I don't think we should ring the doorbell at this hour," she replied dryly. "We should wake them all up and leave as soon as possible." Demi looked around one more time. "I have a bad feeling about this."

I tried to console her by putting my arm around her. "It's gonna be okay. We'll get them and go. Easy peasy." But things went a little too well for my liking, too.

I followed the blonde girl into the garage, and together we opened the door to the kitchen. The house was seemingly quiet, nothing seemed to even indicate people were living here. "Are you sure this is the right house?" I whispered, but she didn't respond. Instead she carefully wandered through the house, as if a walker was about to attack us any moment now. Or worse.

Something in this house felt awfully off.

"I'm gonna check the bedrooms," she stated, trying to hide her anxiousness, but I knew her better than that. The blonde was experiencing a lot of stress.

"Just let me check," I tried to convince her. "You stay here. We don't know what we're gonna find up there, and I don't want you to stumble upon something… Uncomfortable."

Demi tensed, but didn't fight me this time. She just nodded lightly, which I took as the cue to climb the stairs and see what was waiting for me there. Part of me was awfully scared this would all be a trap, that the Governor had seen us sneak in and was waiting for us in one of the bedrooms, ready to capture and torture us. The thought of that gave me the creeps. Maybe I shouldn't have left Demi downstairs, all by herself…

I took a big breath before opening the door that would inevitably lead to the biggest bedroom, afraid what I find. Slowly I pushed the handle down and got a view on the bed. I released my breath.

It was empty.


	41. Chapter 41

**Did the Governor capture them? Did they leave Woodbury? You're about to find out in this chapter.**

* * *

 _Ben's POV_ :

All of the bedrooms appeared to be empty. There was no one there, the house was completely abandoned.

I didn't understand it at all. Where were they? Victor, Hannah, Daniel… They seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Demi's eyes were affirmed on me as I came down from the stairs. She looked expectantly, but that faded as soon as she saw my face.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say. Her face paled.

"They're not there? But they gotta be! This is the house, right? Am I mistaken?" She frantically looked around the empty living room, but nothing seemed to be able to confirm or deny her claim.

I scratched my head. "I don't know Demi, but they're not here. This house is empty."

"Where on earth could they be, then?" She asked, before widening her eyes. "Maybe they have escaped Woodbury. Maybe they are far gone by now. Or maybe… Maybe they're…" She swallowed.

They possibly couldn't be dead. I knew Victor. He wouldn't give up without a fair fight. He'd die protecting the others. That's who he was.

"We'll find them, I'm sure," I said, feeling anything but sure about this. Feverishly I started thinking. Where could they possibly be, if they weren't here?

Suddenly a thought hit me, something I had witnessed before, but had never given much thought.

Until now.

"I've heard before there's a place where lots of children are staying, together," I spoke, and Demi's eyes immediately fixated on me. "I'm not sure why, and I never really thought about it. I mean, children never really had my interest." I shrugged apologetically.

Demi looked astonished. "So… You think the Governor separated Victor from Daniel and Hannah, and stocked them someplace else, with the other children? Where's the logic in that?"

"I don't know, maybe something happened to Victor and you can hardly leave Hannah and Daniel all alone. Many children were found without their parents, so perhaps the Governor stocked all of them together, like an orphanage. Yeah," I said, satisfied with my reasoning. "That's probably it."

The girl still looked a bit perplexed. "I don't get this guy. But then again, I think that's a good thing." I couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you have any idea where these children are? Maybe if we find Hannah and Daniel first, they can tell us where Victor is. I'm not leaving without any of them. And I refuse to believe Victor is dead." Suddenly the girl became feisty.

"I am not entirely sure, but I think they are at the small Woodbury school building. It's actually across the street. We could always go check it out, but we gotta be very careful. Another encounter with a guard and it's the end of us," I warned the girl, who raised her eyebrow at me.

"It's not my fault that guard almost caught us."

"Don't forget who saved you, babe," I reminded her, and she rolled her eyes. "If by groping you mean saving, then yes, you did."

"Don't say you didn't enjoy that." A small smile broke through on her face, as she shook her head.

"You haven't changed at all."

I winked at the blonde. "Oh, I have, but I kept the good parts about me around. Now, let's get out of here, we have some friends to save."

* * *

Luckily we were able to make it to the school without anyone spotting us. We witnessed two guards chatting with each other, which gave us the chance to enter the back entrance safely.

The school seemed to be deserted as well, no lights were on, and not any sign of life. I was already fearing for the worst, as Demi and I carefully moved ourselves through the building.

"I honestly don't think there are people in here," Demi sighed, losing hope. "This place is just deserted, like the house was. Maybe they're just dead, dead and gone." She hung her head.

"Hey, don't say that," I whispered as I lifted up her chin. Her eyes were sad. "We'll find them."

I tossed the girl with me to the side of the school, were the gym was stationed. If they wouldn't be there, I would seriously run out of options. Something I didn't wanna think about.

We weren't even halfway there when I heard a sound I couldn't place. A shuffling sound.

Demi opened her mouth, having heard it as well, and I shushed her as we took cover.

We looked at each other as we heard footsteps on the floor. Soft, dragging footsteps. We obviously weren't alone in this building, but was that a good or a bad thing? What if these footsteps belonged to a walker? I swallowed. Would there be walkers in Woodbury?

The sound of the footsteps definitely indicated the person was coming towards us, and I held my breath. I really didn't want to use any violence, but I knew that if this person – whatever it was – would spot us, I very well had to.

Demi shot me an inclining look. It was now or never.

Carefully I peeked around the corner, trying to identify who the footsteps belonged to. What I saw made my heart stop. I heard Demi gasp next to me as soon as she saw.

It was Daniel.

The little boy seemed to have grown up. Nothing in his appearance still reminded me of the young boy I had gone fishing with. But of course, that had been months ago. And months were more like years during an apocalypse.

His dark hair hung in greasy strings around his face, and his eyes were saggy. His clothes were dirty and he carried a small backpack on his back. The young boy looked awful, as if a great tragedy had happened to him. And maybe it had.

Without informing Demi I snuck up to the boy and placed my hand around his mouth to refrain him from screaming. I felt his body stiffen, and his eyes widened as he turned around and came face to face with me. He mumbled my name against my hand.

"Shh, Danny," I whispered, trying to comfort him. "It's okay, we're here now. But you gotta listen to me, okay? Don't make a sound, no one can know that we're here. You understand that?"

The boy, whose eyes were still big as plates, slowly nodded, causing me to withdraw my hand from his mouth. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

He shook his head. "Good. Listen, Danny. We have to get out of here. We have to go get your sister and find Victor, and then we have to get out of here as fast as we can."

Suddenly the boy's eyes became glassy. "What is it?" I heard Demi ask. "Are you okay, Daniel?"

"We can't go get Hannah." I got a nasty lump in my throat as I looked the boy in the eyes.

"Why not?"

His voice broke. "Because she's gone."

The lump in my throat spread all the way to my stomach when I heard the young boy said these words. The atmosphere became ice cold, and it felt like all the blood got drained from my face.

The silence was deafening, until Demi broke it.

"Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?" Her voice sounded funny.

The boy's facial expression told us all we needed to know. Demi held her hand for her mouth as she sniffled, and I just gasped. Hannah and I had never been close, but I knew how much she had meant to both Demi and Daniel, and she had been so young, still…

"I… I'm so sorry, Daniel," she sniffled as she put her arm around him. He just stood there, not moving a muscle. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there."

"It's not your fault, Demi," he finally said. "The night of the attack, a few of these creatures found their way inside of Woodbury. One bit her. Victor took care of it."

"Victor," I started, "is he…?" The boy quickly shook his head, much to Demi's and my relief.

"Where can we find him? We have to get out of here, Danny, before we get stuck in a war that's not ours to fight. I'll explain all of it later," I continued when I saw the boy's distraught face, "but for now we have to get away as far from here as possible."

"I think I know where he is," Daniel replied, and he straightened his jacket again. It was then when it hit me.

"What were you going to do all dressed up in the middle of the night, anyway?"

His eyes were cold. "Escape."

* * *

The three of us quietly made our way to the exit of the old building. This version of Daniel scared me a little. He had been a typical young boy when I had first met him at that cabin, and now he seemed like a hardened young man. I couldn't blame him, of course, he had basically lost everyone he cared about, but it made me fear the future of this world even more. If an innocent child was already so hardened, what would that mean for his adult life? I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer on that matter.

"Okay, can you bring us to where Vic is?" Demi, who was still shaken up, asked Daniel, who gave her a nod.

"He got hurt trying to save my sister, but nothing serious, I think." I held my breath. "You think?"

The boy shrugged. "I haven't seen him since the attack. I'm guessing he's still being treated by Dr. Stevens."

"I know where that is, and I think I know a way in," I responded. "The both of you, wait near the fence where Demi and I entered this place. Demi knows where. I'll go get Vic." None of them protested. "If I don't make it back before daylight, go. Don't hesitate, just go."

"But –"

"No, Demi," I cut the blonde off. "Please do this for me. If you really love me, you'll do this for me. I'll be alright. I'll see you in a bit, okay?" I tried to smile, but the thought of not being sure I'd see her again made me nauseous.

She was quiet for a bit, before she agreed. "Just be safe, okay?" She gave me a short peck before she took Daniel's hand and led him away. She turned around one more time before she walked away, making sure this was what I wanted. I gave her an encouraging nod as I started making way myself, and prayed all of us would walk away alive.

Dr. Stevens clinic wasn't that far of a walk, I had been there before, upon my arrival at Woodbury. Since Andrea had been sick upon arrival, the Governor had ordered a medical check-up for all of us.

The doctor was a nice woman and had treated me kindly, but I knew, at the end of the day she was working for the Governor. She wouldn't help me out in any way, so I could only hope she wasn't here. I didn't want to take anyone out, but I would if I had to.

With a scary precision I picked the lock of the front door of the building where the clinic was imbedded. I wasn't proud of this skill, it was something I had learned during my worst years as an addict, but right now it sure came in handy.

I crept through the hallways, which were completely dark. It was difficult to see anything at all, with only the exit signs lighting up. But when I made my way around the corner, I saw a room that was lit, albeit barely. I could distinguish a faint silhouette. Someone had to be in there. But who?

My heart started beating twice as fast from adrenaline. It could be Victor in that room, but it could very well be someone else as well.

But I had to take the risk. If it was anyone else, I'd deal with that at that moment. Right now I had to find my best friend.

My hand was sweaty as I pushed the handle of the door. This time I knew I was at least going to encounter _someone_. The thought of what could be on the other side of that door was overwhelming.

And I was right. This time the room wasn't empty, and neither was the bed. My eyes went big as I saw who was staring right back at me, with a crutch in his hands to supposedly hit me with.

"… Vic?"


	42. Chapter 42

**Woah, thank you guys so much for sticking with me and reading this story! My stats are overwhelming. Only one chapter will follow after this and then the story ends, but I liked writing so much, I'm thinking about starting another. However, I want to have lots of it prewritten before I submit anything, and busy times are coming up for me. I have some ideas, let's see what will derive from that.  
**

 **For now, my stomach literally ached while writing this. I felt sad reading it. But I think it suits. It's how I'd like to remember this character. Brave. Altruistic. Courageous.**

 **See if you agree with me.**

* * *

 _Victor's POV_ :

I could not believe my eyes. It was like seeing a ghost. Except that this wasn't a ghost. This was my best friend. Very much alive.

Slowly I lowered my choice of weapon – a crutch. "Ben? I… How? How did you…? Why?"

The man just walked up to me and put his arms around me, enveloping me in a tight hug. We sat like that for a while, until I started coughing.

"Man, I don't know where you've been all this time, but you've gotten weak," I softly chuckled when he released me, though I was filled with joy to see him too.

He sat next to me on my bed. "I'd love to explain that to you, but I can't right now. We have to leave this place as soon as we can. Demi and Daniel are waiting for us, and it won't take long before the daylight arrives. We have to leave Woodbury before that."

My eyes widened. "Wow, wait a sec. Demi is with you?" I was astonished when he nodded. "She is, yeah, and I want to explain all of it, I do, but there's no time to waste."

I just stared at him, not sure what to say or to feel, other than the fact I was happy Demi was alright. That night it all happened was still fresh in my memory. Going back to the house, and not finding Demi there… I thought I had lost my mind. At first I had hoped she had just got lost in the consternation, afterwards I was convinced she had somehow died in the attack, but she hadn't been among the bodies either. She appeared to have disappeared into thin air.

And now Ben was here, my best friend whom I hadn't seen in a long time, looking healthier than he ever did before. There was something calm about him, though he seemed to be under stress. Something in his appearance had changed, and I wasn't sure what that was.

Part of me wondered, as I got out of the bed and followed him through the hallway, if he and Demi had made up. They had to, I came to a conclusion. As much as I hated it, they were just right for each other. There had never really been an actual chance for me. I didn't even try to fight that thought, I just buried it, along with all my other thoughts that were conquering each other for my attention.

"We have to be really careful that nobody spots us around here," Ben warned me as he gazed through the small window next to the front door of the building. A guard was just making his round. "Do you have any idea what's going on in Woodbury right now?"

I shook my head in denial. I knew there had been an altercation with another group, but shortly after I had been hospitalized for getting hurt after trying to save Hannah, and I had no idea what had happened ever since. I had heard Dr. Stevens discussing about it with Milton Mamet, one of the researchers around here, but they had tried to keep it from the others. That alone had given me a bad feeling about this place.

"Alright, let's just pray we can make it out of here in one piece," Ben commented, still a bit pale. "Things have been going way too easy up to this point. I don't trust this at all."

Suddenly I started to feel dizzy and nauseous at the same time. I placed my hand against my forehead. Fever. Still. "Ben, maybe there's something–"

"Can it wait? We have to go now, before the guard comes back," Ben cut me off, frantically scanning the area. "Come!" He urged me as I tried to get myself together.

I followed the blond man through the door, and then through the streets of Woodbury. He stopped close to the perimeter. All of a sudden the place was littered with guards. "Shit, how are we going to get past these guys? It won't be long until daylight." He wiped his forehead, unsure what to do.

"How far is it still to the part where you were supposed to meet the others?" I asked him, and he sighed.

"Too far to make a run for it. What do we do now? As soon as the sun rises we're stuck here."

"Isn't there another way?"

Ben looked around one more time. "Maybe we can climb over the fence somewhere, and then make a run for Demi and Daniel on the other side. But chances of us being seen are much higher."

I shrugged. "Well, I guess we have a better chance outside these walls than inside, don't we?" My best friend threw me a look.

"Yes, because we have nothing to fear of the undead. I almost forgot." I chuckled, something that transformed into another cough, and I shivered. Drops of sweat ran down my forehead.

"Are you okay, Vic?" Ben furrowed his brow, looking worried. I just wiped away the sweat.

"Let's get out of here as soon as we can. There's not much time."

* * *

The both of us searched for another way out of Woodbury nearby, other than the perimeter and the hole through which Demi and Daniel escaped, but it almost seemed impossible. Suddenly the idea of climbing over the fence didn't seem so bad anymore.

"I think there's no other way," I apologetically put my hand on his shoulder. "We're gonna have to make a run for it."

"Are you even capable of running right now?" Ben asked, looking at me suspiciously. "You don't look so good, no offense."

"I…" I started off, but then changed my mind. "No offense taken, I'm just not feeling well, that's all. Yesterday was rough." The man's facial expression became sad.

"I know, Danny told me about Hannah. How are you holding up? What happened?"

I took a deep breath. "It was just, things were so hectic here, with that attack and all. Some people got shot and returned as walkers. It's my fault, really, I was trying to save Daniel and then lost Hannah out of sight. She got bit. I was too late to save her." Slowly I exhaled. "She bled out. I had to refrain her from coming back. It was awful."

Ben stared at the ground. "I am so sorry. I honestly wanted to go back for you, but I couldn't. I encountered Demi by accident, I had no idea you guys were even here. I was with the group that attacked Woodbury."

My mouth fell open. "You – what? That was you?"

The man threw his hands up in the air. "I'll explain all of it later, okay? We don't have much time. This has to happen now."

Hesitantly I nodded. I knew he was right, but there were still some questions burning in the back of my mind. "So, what do you propose?"

Ben eyed the environment one more time. More and more armed men seemed to be gathering now. Maybe they were getting ready to start attacking that other group now, but we couldn't take the risk on waiting for that.

"We have to climb over the fence here and try to make a way to the other side without making them see us. It's gonna be challenging, but we can pull this off."

I knew my best friend better than anyone, and I knew he didn't believe we could actually pull this off, but I admired him for the fact he was trying.

"Follow me closely, okay? I know where we are headed. Just follow me, and we'll make it." I gave him another nod. That was his cue to start climbing. Unfortunately, the timing was wrong.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing there?" An angry voice pierced my ears, making me shiver ever more.

"Come on!" Ben motioned me frantically, and I started climbing as well.

"They're getting away!" The angry voice started to shout. "Get back here!"

With a small jump I landed on the other side of the fence. My whole body hurt, but I tried to ignore that feeling. Not now.

More voices started shouting, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins deafened me. I tried to focus on Ben's footsteps only, but my vision was blurry and my breath ragged.

A gunshot brought me back to reality. Were they shooting at us or at walkers? Or was it both?

One gunshot was followed by another, and another. It took me a few seconds to realize they were shooting at us. But why were they missing all the time? I heard Ben scream at me, but I felt paralyzed. My body just hurt so badly.

I stopped next to a tree to throw up. Ben caught up with me in what seemed to be a short time.

"Dude, what's the matter with you?" He stared at me with his big blue eyes full of questions. "Are you sick?"

I wiped my mouth with my hand. There was blood on it.

"I'm fine. We have to keep moving. They're shooting at us."

He opened his mouth, but then closed it again as he turned around and started making a run for it again. This time I closely followed him.

But then there was the problem with the walkers being drawn by the sound of the gunshots.

Before I even realized what was happening one of them pulled me to the ground, clacking its teeth at me and desperately trying to have me for breakfast. With all my power I started hitting it with the first stone I was able to pick from the ground. But then another one came, and another one.

All of a sudden I heard more gunshots, closer this time, and the undead on top of me stopped moving, bleeding out over me. When I looked up I saw Ben towering over me, extending his hand. "These guards are trying to draw walkers to us! We have to get away."

"Getting away was also on my plan of the day," I joked half-heartedly, and the man shot me a weak smile before pulling me up. "We're almost there. Don't give up."

The remainder of the road Ben supported me, to relieve my body. He shot a few walkers here and there before realizing there were too many to take out. All that mattered now was getting to the others safely. From there on we'd see.

I let out a relieved sigh as I spotted Demi and Daniel, hidden in the bushes near the fence. Demi's eyes widened when she saw me.

"Vic! I'm so happy to see you! You made it!" She put her arms around me and after a little hesitation, I did the same.

"Likewise. You scared the shit out of me, Dem. I thought you were dead."

She smiled at me as she let go of me. "Not that easily." But then her smile faded. "You look awful, Vic. Are you okay? There's blood on your face." She brought her hand to my chin, and then studied the substance on her fingers. My blood. It had to be.

"Is that… Your blood?" She stammered, as she paled.

I decided I just couldn't lie to them anymore. I had to tell them.

And I did so by lifting up my shirt and lowering a part of my pants, exposing a nasty wound under my belt.

Different kind of gasps were heard by my three friends. Demi just put her hand over her mouth and Ben's mouth fell open.

"I… Please tell me this is not what it looks like," my best friend pleaded. "Please." Demi's eyes started to get wet.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to tell you right away, but I just, I couldn't. One of them scratched me while I was trying to save Hannah. I was able to hide it from the nurses in Woodbury, hoping it would just heal like a normal wound. But I'm starting to believe that hope was false."

Demi was crying now, and even the young boy teared up. Ben was still staring at me.

"Maybe it's just infected. If we find a way to treat it… We should go to the prison, maybe Hershel can treat it, he survived a bite –"

"It's no use, Ben," I cut him off. "I'm experiencing all these symptoms we've witnessed before in others. The fever, the coughing, throwing up blood… I'm getting weaker by the minute."

"But it's just a scratch…" His voice trailed off.

"A deep one," I explained. "Its course is slower than that of a bite, but the conclusion is the same. I'm not going to make it, guys."

Ben ran his hand through his dirty blond hair, not knowing what to do. "But… Can't we at least try…?"

Determined I shook my head. "I am sorry. For me it's too late. But you guys still have a shot." Suddenly I got an idea, as I noticed the upcoming walkers. We'd be swarmed in a short time if we wouldn't move now.

Unless…

"Please take care of each other. Please Ben," I affirmed my eyes on my best friend, "take good care of Demi. Don't let her go this time. She truly loves you, and I know how much you love her. It's okay. And Daniel," I looked at the young boy now, "don't let the world harden you, little man."

Demi was the first to realize what I was going for. "Vic, no. No." Tears were streaming down her face now. "Don't."

I shot them one last glance as I turned around, facing the upcoming walkers. "You still have a shot. I don't. I have to. Go, please. Get yourselves to safety. Just don't forget about me, okay?"

Ben got a hold of Demi's hand and put his other arm around Danny's shoulders. It was the first time since kindergarten I saw my best friend cry. "Never. You're my best friend."

That made me smile, as I started walking towards the walkers. My body was aching and my heart was racing, but it was okay. If anything, I was at peace with myself. Going down while saving my friends was a great way to go, after all.

The first bite hurt, but after a matter of seconds complete darkness took over.

* * *

 ***hides away***


	43. Chapter 43

**Thanks for all the hate-mail and threats, I guess... I'm happy you guys hate me for killing him, that means he was a cool character. What's funny is that Victor is actually 'a bad guy' in my orginal story. He's kind of an ass there. What's ever funnier (maybe funny isn't the right word) is that I used to date a guy who is a lot like Victor but I only met him after writing this story.**

 **Aaaaanyway, this is my very last chapter. Thank you guys for all of the reviews, especially HellaChloe and Maddy, you guys are awesome! And thank all of you for reading my work and I can only hope it was as fun for you as it was for me!**

 **This was an ending I had in mind from the beginning. I also have an alternate ending, but I'm still debating whether or not I'm gonna publish that one. This is the original ending, and I am satisfied with it. I hope you are too. If you got any questions or something else you wanna say, feel free to PM me! And if you're ever visiting the stunning Tyrol, come see me!**

* * *

 _Demi's POV_ :

Approximately one year had passed after it had all happened.

And an awful time it had been.

The first hours, days, weeks after Victor's death had taken its toll on all of us. I kept having nightmares about seeing him die, nightmares that were so intense I kept Ben up night after night, something he said he didn't mind, but I could see him getting more and more messed up about this.

He had seen his best friend die too, of course. His very best friend, ever since he had been little, getting torn apart in front of him. It was, in all reality, probably a lot harder for him than it even was for me.

Yet he became the spill of our small group, protecting me and Daniel at all times. Against the living or the dead, it didn't matter to him. The man had hardened, not fearing to harm anyone who'd try to harm us. Alive or dead.

We traveled from place to place, until the mountains came in sight again. The mountains that had once triggered a feeling of safety in me now made me flood with memories, memories about Nick, Olivia, Hannah, Victor, and all those we had lost. I just couldn't stay in the mountains anymore.

So we traveled and traveled, away from the memories, through forests and fields, encountering lakes and train rails, no longer in use of course.

There were times we encountered other groups of survivors, groups just like us. But that never lasted long. Either the group turned out to be dangerous for our chances of survival, or they left us behind. After a while Ben made the decision to hide away from others, because getting attached to them would eventually only serve us with more heartbreak, or other difficulties.

We were fine on our own, the three of us. Like a little family.

Ben and Daniel took care of the most walkers. The blonde man had trained the young boy, and he had actually become quite good at finishing off the undead creatures who were ever still haunting us.

Daniel had brightened up in Ben's presence. The two of them made a fantastic team, and Daniel looked up to Ben like he was an older brother. Seeing those two together made my heart swell. Perhaps there was hope for this world, still.

Things between Ben and me were better than they had ever been. We talked a lot, about this world, and the future that lay before us. The both of us knew this wouldn't last. Eventually one of us would perish, leaving the other behind. But for now, every other day I shared with him was a blessing.

Time was ticking away, but it was something I accepted. I had to, to stay sane in a world like this.

* * *

We were staying in a small barn, one that had probably belonged to a farmer with sheep once, but now it was deserted and safe enough to stay, at least for now. Ben and Daniel took care of the near walkers as I investigated the barn.

To my surprise I found a bottle of water. That was something I hadn't seen in a long time. Someone must have lost it around here, a long time ago. I shrugged as I stored it away. Maybe it would come to good use later on.

When I was absolutely sure it was clear I sent the boys a clear sign through the tiny window.

"I took care of every possible threat near the barn, so as long as we don't get seen, we're good," Ben commented as he entered the barn. Daniel closed the door behind him, locking it.

"The way you handled that last one was awesome," Daniel's eyes shimmered. "You just hacked his head in two. Like how did you do that?" Ben smiled as I rolled my eyes.

"Were you showing off again?"

"Hey," the man threw his hands in the air, "at least let me have some fun taking these things down."

"I'm not sure if I understand your kind of fun."

The man gave me a playful push. "You don't have to understand everything. These are guy business. Right, Danny?" Daniel chuckled as he nodded.

"Alright then, in that case I don't even want to understand your kind of fun," I replied, shaking my head. "Anyway, Daniel, do you mind if Ben and I go for a quick walk?"

Ben looked at me questionably as Daniel threw me a disgusted look.

"Gross."

My cheeks immediately colored. "Not like that. We just have something we need to discuss. Something between adults." The boy raised his eyebrow, but then lay down in the hay.

"Fine. Go 'talk'. I can take perfect care of myself."

I rose to my feet and Ben grabbed his gun and holstered it, just in case. Together we made our way outside, in silence. And it stayed like that until we ended up at some lake.

"So, babe," the blond man wrapped his arms around me. "What do we need to discuss? Something bad?" His blue eyes were full of questions.

"Well, whether or not it's bad, I'll leave that up to you," I said, a little uncomfortable, scared what his response to my news would be.

"It can't be that bad," he responded as he kissed me. "As long as it's not about walkers or anything. Or you leaving me," he jokingly added.

I stared down. "It's none of that."

Suddenly he became serious. "You can talk to me, Dem. You know I won't shut you down. I love you." He lifted up my chin with his index finger, but when I looked up I noticed something off. Immediately I tensed.

"What's –" Ben started his sentence, but I motioned him to be silent as I started scanning the environment. Somehow I got the feeling we weren't alone.

Ben got the hint and drew his gun, ready to take whatever or whoever it was out.

We got both distraught by a rustling sound. "Show yourself," the man grunted, while pointing his gun.

To our surprise a man appeared, holding his hands up in the air.

"Don't shoot."

Ben cocked his gun. "Don't tell me what to do."

The unknown man smiled nervously. "Please?"

I started observing him. His brown curls were messy and there was a bit of dried blood on his shirt, but his face seemed friendly. However, a friendly face wasn't going to make me trust him. I had made that mistake before.

"I've been observing you for a while now. You, him," he nodded to Ben, who narrowed his eyes, "and the boy. You seem lovely people."

"Amazing you can tell that from observing us," Ben sneered at the man. "You should do something with that gifted ability." The stranger, however, remained friendly, as he lowered his hands.

"That water bottle you found inside of the barn, I left it there for you," the guy continued, smiling at me. I didn't return his smile. "I know you've been sick, lately."

I gasped as I widened my eyes, and Ben did so too before affirming his eyes on me. "You've been sick, Demi? Why didn't you say so?"

"I, eh," I stammered, feeling my cheeks color. "Gosh, I didn't wanna tell you like this, really. At first I just thought it was my stomach playing games on me. But now I know it's not."

The man had this non-understanding look on his face. "Huh?"

I let out a deep sigh. "I'm pregnant." His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "You – what?"

"I'm having your baby, idiot."

The blond man glanced at me. "I know what pregnant means. But how – no wait, I know how – I mean, since when?"

All I could do was shrug. "I'm not sure, it's not like the place is littered with pregnancy tests around here. But I'm guessing around a month or two. Maybe three."

I had never seen him so off-guard before. The stranger just stood there, witnessing our little moment.

"I'm awfully sorry for ruining this precious moment between you two," he apologized, looking sincere. "That wasn't my intention at all."

All of a sudden the stranger had my full attention again. "For exactly how long have you been tracking us? And why? Who are you?"

The man extended his hand to me, which I hesitantly shook.

"I am Aaron. And I think I have good news for you. For all of you, actually."

* * *

The three of us silently followed the man – Aaron, to a place we had never heard of before.

At first I had been skeptical.

A man, appearing out of nowhere, apparently having followed us around for quite an amount of time, telling us he had good news for us. A safe zone, a place where society was still intact and blooming. A world without undead, safely secured. It was almost hard to believe places like these still existed. A quick and sneaky visit to Woodbury some time ago had taught us the place had been burned to the ground. There was nothing left of it. I had no idea what had happened to it, but it was clear that bad intentions were behind it.

And now we were just supposed to believe that this so called safe zone would be good news.

Aaron had shown us pictures of the place, to prove its existence. Ben was clearly against it, grunting we were just fine on our own, and we didn't need anyone trying to 'save' us.

But the truth was, there was a baby on the way now, and if I wanted to guarantee this unborn child's safety, I had to at least consider this offer. Because there was no way we'd survive on the road with a crying baby. Not a chance.

And there it was. A large gate, looming in the distance. I felt Ben's hand slipping in mine, and softly tugging it.

"It's not too late, Demi. We can still turn around and go, if we want."

"Go _where_?"

The man stayed silent, and I stared into his deep blue eyes. He looked tired and worn-out. This world had taken its toll on him. It had taken a toll on all of us. This world had made us lose many of our friends and relatives, our sanity, our humanity.

But there was hope, still. With this baby, this new life, new hope would be born. And the least I could do was give it the best care possible. And that was exactly what I was planning on doing. I owed it to the child, and to myself. Not to mention Ben and Daniel.

"I think we're exactly where we need to be right now." My voice sounded soft, but steady. Aaron just nodded at us while ordering to open the gate. Daniel smiled lightly while Ben put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer.

"Then this is what we'll do."

For the first time in a long time I felt myself relaxing.

Alexandria. I couldn't wait to see what was in store for us.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead, but I do own these characters. Any resemblances between these characters and other characters are purely coincidental.  
**


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